Blackout Tinting's XPEL Agreement Shows How PPF Supply Fits a Franchise Business

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2026-11-06T02:41:04Z

First published

2026-11-06

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PaintProtectionFilm.org

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United States

A paint protection film business can sell great material and still struggle to deliver consistent installations at more than one store. That is one reason film-supplier relationships become important when an installer turns into a multi-location brand.

Blackout Tinting offers a new example. Founder Josh Poponick said in a Facebook announcement supplied on November 5, 2026, that the business had signed an exclusive dealer agreement with XPEL for both corporate locations and franchises. A separate supplied Blackout post displaying September 22 announces full franchise opportunities.

The company has not disclosed the full supplier contract or its franchise disclosure documents in the material reviewed for this article. What is clear is that Blackout intends to link its next stage of expansion with a film brand it has used for years.

Blackout is already a multi-service film business

Blackout started as an automotive window tinting shop in 2011. Its current services include paint protection film, automotive tint, ceramic coatings, and film for residential and commercial glass. Its website currently lists five locations in Pennsylvania and Florida.

That combination is common in the broader vehicle-protection market: the customer who asks about window tint may also be interested in clear PPF on the front of a vehicle, a wider PPF coverage package or a ceramic coating. These are distinct services, however, with different materials, installation time and expectations.

Blackout's own website describes a long relationship with XPEL, and XPEL's dealer directory lists Blackout’s Latrobe location as a provider of paint protection film. The supplied post referred to nine years of support and thanked the XPEL team, including Christopher Hardy.

Why a PPF supplier matters when a brand franchises

With one location, an owner can make many decisions personally: which film to stock, what templates to use, when to order material and which technician should install a complex vehicle. Franchising adds another challenge. The customer expects the brand to mean something consistent even when different owners and crews perform the work.

Using one PPF supplier may help a franchise standardize product names, film selection, installation education and warranty paperwork. It also may give the franchise owner fewer product lines to learn when opening a new store.

But a supplier agreement is only part of a working PPF operation. Shops still need trained installers, well-prepared paint, careful placement and edges, clear customer expectations, and a process for handling returns or concerns. A brand on the film does not install it.

The details of Blackout's deal have not been released. There is no published basis for saying the company has secured lower PPF prices, access to an unreleased product, an exclusive region, a guaranteed number of future stores or a special manufacturer warranty. Nor does the post identify which exact XPEL PPF products must be offered.

What should franchise buyers and customers look for?

For a prospective franchise owner, the product agreement raises useful questions. Is PPF mandatory at every new location, or can a shop focus on window tint first? Who buys the plotter and cutting software? How is stock managed? What education does a new PPF technician receive? How are warranty claims handled and what products may be sourced outside the required supplier relationship?

For a customer, the questions are more direct. Ask what parts of the vehicle will be covered, which film will be installed, how the installer plans to handle seams and edges, and what the written warranty includes. A shop's status as part of a franchise or authorized dealer is useful context, not a substitute for a detailed estimate.

The next milestone is the rollout

The supplied materials describe both franchise opportunities and an XPEL dealer agreement. Exact original post timestamps were not independently verified. The company's published locations show its established operating footprint; they do not establish how many independent franchise stores are already open.

For the PPF trade, the next useful information will be how Blackout trains new operators, what its film menu looks like in practice and when its first documented franchise openings occur.