Family-run window tint shop celebrates a growing business
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IDAHO FALLS — After 23 years of running his window tinting business, Flavio Rodriguez still does everything. He’s an owner, he’s a worker, and he’s the employees’ father.
But this month marks a special time for Flavio and his family. Not only is the tint shop celebrating 23 years of business, but the Rodriguez family’s business has also moved to a new building with more space. With the additional space, they can do more work, and they’ll soon be teaching classes on window tinting.
They told EastIdahoNews.com that it’s like a dream come true.
“It’s like a dream — something that makes you feel satisfied with what you have created,” Flavio told EastIdahoNews.com.
“It means hard work, patience, and love — just unconditional love,” said Darlene Rodriguez, Flavio’s daughter.
Flavio, his wife Elizabeth, and Darlene originally moved to Idaho from California in 2001. Flavio was initially seeking employment at Idaho National Laboratory, but he ended up doing window tinting. And ever since then, he’s been tinting and replacing windows.
Flavio said he wakes up early every day and comes to work at 6 a.m. Darlene said he’s often not done till late in the evening. She said he is the embodiment of the word hardworking.
“He’s just dedicated all his life to creating this business and growing it,” Darlene said. “… That’s something that has inspired my siblings and me as well.”
Years after the original tint shop opened and with the creation of Tint Shop 2, the entire Rodriguez family loves working there, including Darlene and her brother, Kenny. Even Flavio’s 10-year-old daughter Delanie is getting into it.
“We love what we do. We enjoy it,” Flavio said.
Flavio said his family has been blessed with support from their customers and the community. He’s always shocked to see how many positive reviews they have online. A part of the job he truly loves is getting to know people, and he still remembers customers from when they first opened in 2003.
Because customers have expressed interest in learning window tinting, Flavio said the shop will also be hosting an academy to teach it starting in July. The class will teach people everything they need to know to do it themselves.
“Once you leave here, you’re just ready to do your vehicle,” Flavio said.
To enroll, people can call their office at 208-552-0204.
Flavio said the new location at 1241 East 17th Street is on a main corridor of town, so it’s well trafficked, and it has much more space than the old shop. It’s also closer to their house, making it easier to take Delanie to school.
Flavio said patience is key to his job and to running the business all these years. He said he doesn’t know what he’ll do when he’s of retirement age, because he’s just used to doing it all.
“Everybody asks me, ‘Are you the owner?’ I am everything here,” Flavio said.