Capital improvement

Local window tinter goes to work in Washington

Mike Schuch and Jeff Green never thought tinting windows would land them on Capitol Hill.

But in the wake of Sept. 11, they stood on the steps to the U.S. Capitol preparing to protect members of the government.

They were brought to the city by a manufacturer to install a protective window film. The tint they installed holds glass together in the frame, that, if shattered, prevents injury and penetration of the window.

The lesson of protection came in 1995 with the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. People for miles around were injured by flying glass.

"Although nothing could've saved the people in the building, safety film would've saved (outside injuries)," Schuch said.

Soon after their arrival in Washington, D.C., Schuch and Green, owners of Xlnt Tint in southwest Las Vegas, were called to head up the project.

"It was the biggest mess you've ever seen. You have contractor-minded people in one of the most prestigious buildings during the most uncertain times in our nation's history," Schuch said. "We get there, and nobody knows what they're doing. At the time, the building had a big target on the dome."

The typical commercial window tint installation calls for two installers working on about 1,000 square feet of surface space. While in Washington for two months starting in October 2001, Schuch and Green managed 50 installers working with 265,000 square feet.

While in the nation's capital, Schuch, Green and their crew worked on many buildings, some of which they're not permitted to mention. They can say they finished all the windows in the Capitol, including those in the dome; the Library of Congress buildings and the House office buildings before Christmas that year.

They did this, even though they lost 20 percent of the crew because of the anthrax scare.

"That was as fast as we could install this film to protect the people inside," Schuch said. "We were working around Abraham Lincoln's pocket remains, what he had in his pockets when he was shot. This is the stuff we were protecting."

The events of Sept. 11 changed many lives, but it changed Schuch and Green in a different way.

Before, the government called for quotes on large security projects. After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, they put plans into action.

"Back then, they were talking about attacks every day," Schuch said. "It was very stressful, but we found our niche. It was a growing experience that was really good for us."

With all the extra work, Green moved to the Washington area 18 months ago to keep up with large federal projects. The duo tag-teamed large projects, flying back and forth to the East Coast, in the year between the completion of the first set of jobs in Washington and Green's permanent relocation to the city.

"If it wasn't a military base, it was a government building or federal building," Green said. "We learned how to do our business on a large scale on large projects. We had always done large commercial buildings and that type of stuff but not government jobs."

Schuch and Green, both 34, started in the window tinting business while they were teenagers. In 1988, Schuch couldn't afford to tint the windows of his car, so he learned how to do it himself. Green opened his own store at age 18 and sold it five years later to work for a tint manufacturer.

Schuch and Green became business partners six years ago. Shortly thereafter, they moved the business to Las Vegas.

"The city really welcomed us. Our professionalism really went far here. There was an average way of doing business. We had to raise the bar, using computers for presentations," Schuch said. "There are good companies in California, but the need was here."

The company still holds accounts in California, including a $2 million contract with the Metropolitan Transit Authority for graffiti film. The film protects glass and other smooth surfaces from vandalism such as scratching or acid. Acid runs off the surface like water and many paint types can be scrubbed off with a nylon sponge, Schuch said.

If scratches appear on elevators, escalators or map kiosks with the film, it can be easily removed and replaced, making the window look like new and protecting the glass for one-tenth the cost of replacing it, Schuch said.

The walkway bridges on the Strip and the restroom mirrors at the Stratosphere also feature the graffiti film. Schuch and Green intend to install 5,000 square feet of film on the Strip this month.

"So many people will stop and watch the water show (from the bridge) at the Bellagio. If (the window) was scratched, it would give the image that the city is run down," Schuch said. "For some reason, people, wherever there is glass, they put their name on it."

To install the graffiti film, installers must go through six months of training. Installation of the protective security film takes up to two years with Xlnt Tint. Protective film, also used for commercial security purposes, can cost from $6 to $25 per square foot. There is more cost involved if the tint is attached to the frame, which provides more security.

Some of the films are as hard as cardboard, so proper training is necessary, Schuch said.

"It's like trying to gift wrap a basketball without creasing it," Schuch said. "It looks like huge magnifying glasses all over the window if you don't do it right."

Schuch says one reason he stayed in the window tinting business was to see the looks on the faces of satisfied customers. The company received thank-you letters from government officials for the work done in Washington nearly three years ago.

"I've always gotten such a kick out of that," Schuch said. "I never would've dreamed it would've gone there. But the next 10 years could be fun wherever that goes."


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