Jacksonville, Fla. (Oct. 14, 2022) With 30 plus years in the construction and remodeling industry, Rick Mariano, entrepreneur and owner of the Rhino Shield dealership that serves much of northeast Florida and southern Georgia, has seen the ups and downs in business. Guided by faith and family, he says he’s found the formula to success.
“Over the years, we’ve found that helping build strong communities around us not only lifts up the community, it lifts up our business as well,” said Mariano. “So, one of our core tenets is that we give first — we invest in the community. The Buddy Bus is a great example that’s been highlighted recently, providing free mammograms all over our communities. We become part of building the local community and it comes right back to us.
“The other important part of the formula is company culture,” said Mariano. “We do right by the employees, treat them like part of the family, and they are engaged and working hard and having fun — and they tend to stay with us longer.”
Mariano, who has led the Jacksonville dealership for 22 years, said his wife, Julie and son, Jay have been integral to the success of the business.
“It has been a joy to serve the community of Jacksonville and beyond alongside my wife, Julie and my son, Jay,” said Mariano. “We’re more than just great coatings and customer service, we invest in building up the communities around us.”
The Jacksonville Rhino Shield dealership, which saw gross revenues in excess of $6 million last year, is in the middle of another record-setting year.
“I’ve met so many wonderful people through this business,” said Mariano. “And the support we get from Rhino Shield corporate leadership has helped us deliver an even higher level of service to our customers.”
Jerold Hall, Vice President of Sales and Dealer Development, said the company is aggressively recruiting dealers across the U.S. and interest is very high.
“Our main emphasis this year has been setting up exclusive Rhino Shield dealerships across the U.S.,” said Hall. “As a premium coating, Rhino Shield offers greater profit for dealers — our typical Rhino Shield dealer earns more than $1.5 million in gross revenue with gross profits in excess of 55 percent and net profit margins of between 15 and 20 percent.”
Hall said the ideal Rhino Shield dealer is a seasoned entrepreneur who can market, sell and install Rhino Shield within their market footprint — and someone who fits their culture.
“Our dealerships are built on a very simple model,” said Hall. “Inexpensive startup and no franchise fees allow our dealers to invest in their business and keep capital requirements low. But the most important part of the model is dealers who are in lockstep with an ethical, values-driven culture — that’s Rhino Shield’s hallmark.”
Veteran-Owned and made in the U.S.A., Rhino Shield’s elastomeric-ceramic coating goes on much thicker than conventional paint and is warrantied for 25 years.
Rhino Shield experienced record growth in the first half of 2022 — 38 percent year over year. AmCoat is expanding its Rhino Shield dealer distribution network to Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, New York City, Omaha, Buffalo, Rochester, Los Angeles, Boise, Baltimore, Richmond and more. Entrepreneurs in those areas who are interested in learning more about starting up a Rhino Shield dealership should email info@amcoatind.com or call (850) 424-6805.
About AmCoat Industrial
AmCoat Industrial manufactures high performance coatings for walls, roofs, floors and specialty industrial applications. AmCoat is home to some of the most recognized brands in the U.S., including the popular Rhino Shield Ceramic Coating and Floor Shield concrete floor coating products. Through a network of independent dealers, AmCoat distributes its products nationally and internationally, coating thousands of homes, buildings and commercial and industrial applications. You can find AmCoat, Rhino Shield and Floor Shield on Facebook and at www.AmCoat.com.
About AmCoat Products
Rhino Shield is a ceramic elastomeric wall coating is distributed through a nationwide network of dealer contractors who market, sell and install Rhino Shield in their geographies. Rhino Shield has been installed in more than 75,000 homes and buildings across the U.S. and in several international markets. Rhino Shield is manufactured in the U.S.A. For more information, see RhinoShield.com.
Floor Shield is AmCoat’s 100 percent polyaspartic concrete floor coating — a newer technology that features rapid curing at a wide range of surface temperatures, bubble-free surfaces, high temperature and abrasion resistance and high solids content which means low to no VOCs during application. Floor Shield is manufactured in the U.S.A. For more information, See FloorShieldCoatings.com.
Rhino Shield and Floor Shield dealerships are highly profitable, self-sustaining, and many of its Rhino Shield dealers have been with AmCoat for more than 10 years.
