Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Murphy
Hi Kevin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have always been into car accessories. You know, the early 2000’s Fast and the Furious era. I had a girlfriend that wanted her windows tinted and I said “oh,I can do that”. Far from the truth… I failed miserably but was determined from that point on to learn the Art of window tinting. I applied to D&L for almost a whole year until they finally gave me a shot. I went through their training period, picking up the basics. I continued to tint vehicles for friends in my parent’s driveway for years developing my skills through trial and error. There were plenty of errors to say the least. It’s a lot harder than it looks. I became better with time and worked at a number of shops over my now 17 years in the industry. Every business I worked for, I would work my way up to a lead installer position all the while learning a little more about the business and ways they do things. Some things I agreed with, some I didnt, but I used all of my knowledge to form my own perception of how my shop would/should operate.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not. I feel that I have put in my “10,000 hours” a few times. I went from being trained for a few months at a high volume shop using a plotter that cuts out your patterns, to hand cutting each window in my parents driveway. Two completely different skill sets. I still handcut all my patterns to this day, because it gives a more custom and precise touch to the overall job. I worked in a controlled environment inside a shop, to dealing with the different variables nature throws at you working outside. Dirt,dust,contamination, hot/cold, wind, rain even some light snow on occasion. I had to adjust accordingly to get the best results. I learned the most in that driveway alone with nobody coaching me, retaining the most knowledge and learning what not to do the hard way. Going from shop to shop adjusting to the way they did things, understanding why they wanted it done a certain way. Taking that information and tweaking it to what worked for me. Quality over Quantity is key to me. Aside from the window tinting, if it wasn’t for me working in other shops, I would not have learned new skills such as vinyl wrapping and paint protection film. In my opinion, what made me stand out from the rest, was that I couldnt shut my brain down after my shift. I had to continue on my own time. So I would practice on my vehicles, subscribe to all the facebook pages and thewrapinstitute.com whose slogan is “never stop learning”. I would develop relationships with people that have been in the industries way longer than me and pick their brain about things I didn’t understand.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the owner of Relic Tint & Wraps llc. I specialize in window tinting; Automotive, Residential, and Commercial. We also offer vinyl graphics ranging from cut lettering, full color change vehicle wraps, chrome deletes, headlight and taillight tinting, commercial graphics, full print vehicle wraps, and wall murals. We outsource all of our graphic design and printing through John Bruning at Speedesign, a company that has been around for over 25 years. I like to refer to him as my mentor, but he is really just a solid person willing to pass on knowledge that nobody was in a position to do for him when this industry really flourished 20+ years ago. I feel as though im most known for my window tinting background and am recently getting recognition for the vinyl and PPF. I’m most proud of the opportunities I’ve had to work on local celebrities’ vehicles from Brandon Novak, John “Shogun” Rallo, Baltimore Ravens players , and Chino Braxton. I have had the privilege of sponsoring a shogun fighter Andrew Johnson and a UFC fighter Dylan “the mindless hulk” Budka, both from Baltimore. I was also part of the team that wrapped all of the MTA busses. I wouldn’t have had any of these opportunities if it wasn’t for the shops I was working for at the time, or the networking and relationships I’ve built over the years. I think what sets me apart is that im not a big ego driven person when it comes to my career. I do my work and I keep it moving. I let my work do the talking.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love historical Baltimore. I love how its a little bit “cult-like”. From the Old Bay and crabs, Edgar Allen Poe, Ravens and Orioles. I even remember the Baltimore Bandits Hockey team. My wife Jessica is a 9th grade English teacher at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School and when she was hired I informed her of all the superstar athletes that came out of there.
Up until recently there wasn’t any good skateparks in the area. Ironically enough, my cousin Bill Felter is the head of the Baltimore County Skateboard Council, and he organized to receive funding and oversaw the entire project to get a full concrete skatepark built in Hazelwood! Skateboarding was a huge part of my childhood, it was the last healthy obsession I had before I fell down the wrong path of addiction (I can proudly say I’m currently living that recovery life). I think that the skatepark is going to make a big difference in our community. The gathering of likeminded individuals is extremely therapeutic.
Pricing:
- Window Tinting- Prices vary depending on the year make and model of the vehicle. We offer a color stable carbon film as our entry level . And a color stable Ceramic heat rejection. Both come with lifetime non fade warranties.
- Vinyl- price per job , vehicle etc.
- Paint protection film- priced per job, we offer partial front end or full front end coverage. Our packages include headlights and mirrors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Relicinstallations.wixsite.com/relicinstallations
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relic_tint_wrap?igsh=MXAyYmM5YjkxOXhsZg==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094331415735&mibextid=ZbWKwL
