A Legacy of Entrepreneurship Fuels New Rhino Shield Dealer

AmCoat's newest Rhino Shield dealer, Ryan Adams, found inspiration from his grandfather, a hardworking and determined immigrant who came to America from Italy at 16 and started his American dream working at a gas station.

After some time, His grandfather's dream of ownership was realized and he bought the gas station, which he quickly began turning into a large used car dealership near Scranton, Pennsylvania. He then began buying up the land around the dealership and ended up developing all of it.

"He built an empire, and I really admired that about him," said Adams. "It's amazing what a little raw determination can do for you — his drive inspired me — I wanted that."

With that memory and growing drive, Adams graduated from Notre Dame, joined the Army and became an Army Ranger who served eight deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. When he left the Army, he joined a startup tech firm, but missed being the one calling the shots — being the "tip of the spear."

"I missed the excitement of leadership — so I left a cushy tech startup job — a great job but I just felt like a cog in the wheel," said Adams. "It was like I was along for the ride but not able to make key decisions that I felt could lead to success. In the Army, you're expected to do much with very little, and I became very good at that. And I knew as a business owner the buck stops with you — you make and approve decisions that bring success or failure."

That's when Adams discovered Rhino Shield, the dealership in his hometown of Jacksonville, was for sale. The more he learned about the proven ceramic elastomeric coating, the more he believed he could not only sell it, but expand the dealership's footprint to other areas not yet served.

"We have a smart, motivated team here at Rhino Shield Jax and a cool mission with a great product that stands on its own," said Adams. "I'm so excited about this team. And my wife and I love this community — we're raising our kids here — it's growth market — in fact it's one of the biggest growth markets in the country."

Adam's vision is to grow customer trust in Rhino Shield, add commercial applications, and serve all of his territory which extends to the Gulf Coast — Gainesville, Ocala and Lake City. He predicts his core team will allow Rhino Shield to grow, and in turn, those employees will grow into bigger roles to fuel his growing business.

"What drives me is a product I can believe in," said Adams. "Something that can stand on its own. Rhino Shield has been on the scene for more than 25 years — it's the best on the market with a 25-year warranty. I love that I can go out and sell it today and feel great about the value our service and this product provides to our customers."

Another thing Adams likes about Rhino Shield is that the company is continuously innovating.

"This company believes in regular R and D to improve our products and improve sustainability," said Adams. "With ongoing R and D, you have the best product on the market which brings improved customer satisfaction. That's a strategy for growth and success."

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.

AmCoat continues to soar in the first half of 2023 as companies Rhino Shield® and Floor Shield® produce significant results. The high-tech coating company's 2023 growth continues to outpace record growth from 2022. AmCoat has grown by more than 16 percent over 2022, continuing its streak as it puts additional focus on commercial business.

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.