Business: Sun Reys Solutions Address: 10S059 Schoger Drive, Naperville Phone/website: 630-463-8589; www.sunreystinting.com Owner: Gilbert Ramirez, 37, of Plainfield Years in business: 5 What does your business do? “(Car) window tinting, vehicle wrapping, paint protection film and pleasing custom ers,” Ramirez said. What is paint protection film? “It’s a plastic film that goes on the paint. It’s meant to be applied typically on new cars because they don’t have any rock chips.. … (It’s) made to basically ricochet any rocks.” How do you apply that? “It’s a wet install, so you use soap and water. The film stretches so you can stretch it over curves. It’s gotten really popular in the last 10 to 15 years. … Back then, it used to (turn) yellow on white cars. … The film is now made to last for 10 years.” What’s the cost? “The full front end package is usually around $2,000, $2,200. … It takes three or four days.” Gilbert Ramirez, owner of Sun Reys Solutions in Naperville, has 5% percent window tinting on his 2016 Cadillac CTS-V. Technically that violates the legal limit in Illinois, but he’s only received one ticket so far, he says. (Steve Metsch/Naperville Sun) What is vehicle wrapping? “Our focus is color change. Say you have a white car and you want a different tone of white, you can change the color. You have graphics and designs. Basically, go from the original factory color to any color you want. It’s like a vinyl film. It has adhesive on the inside. You can stretch and pull it. Once you heat it, the heat activates the glue. … The vinyl is very forgiving. … The hardest part is taking the car apart, around the trim, door handles have to come out. Lights. Bumpers. … It costs $3,000 to $3,500.” And what about window tinting? “It’s on the inside. The film comes out flat and needs to be shrunk to grab the shape of the windows. Especially car windows. They have some curvature. … Even though (the) side windows look flat, they’re not. … You shrink it, then mold it by pushing it down. It will fit like a glove.” Tinting is done for glare? “That’s one of the benefits. However, some clients want it for privacy. They don’t want anybody to see inside. Some get headaches from the sun, so we’ll do the whole thing. This is also approved by the (American) Cancer Association because it cuts down on skin cancer. All the films have 99% UV protection.” People get pulled over for tinted windows. How do you address that? “There are legal limits. I always start by letting them know what the legal limit is for Illinois. What they decide to do is entirely up to them.” What is the legal limit? “Thirty-five percent. That’s 35% of the light is being allowed through. The higher the number, the lighter the film will be. Seventy percent is much lighter. The darkest one is 5%. … My windows — you can’t see anything inside — they are 100% illegal. But whenever I do get pulled over, I lower all my windows. … Because you can’t see anything in there, you have to think the way (the police) think. There could be someone in there with a gun. So, the moment you lower all your windows, you show them you have nothing.” Did you ever get a ticket? “Yes, in Aurora (in 2025), but only for the windshield. … Customers get a ticket because they were speeding and this got added on. The attitude plays a role. … I tell people, ‘If you have nothing to hide.’ …  When they are here, when they see what’s legal, they don’t like it. … The odds of getting pulled over for just (window) tinting are kind of slim.” What do you drive? “A 2016 Cadillac CTS-V. It’s got 800 horsepower. It has 5% (tinting), 95% of the light is blocked out.” Gilbert Ramirez started his window tinting company in Naperville five year ago after learning the trade. He also offers vehicle wrapping and paint protection. (Steve Metsch/Naperville Sun) What does it cost to tint windows? “Sedans start at $230.” What’s your philosophy? “I may not be the cheapest. I may not be the best. But my first priority is to make sure the customer has a memorable experience. … Forty to 50% of my clients are return customers.” How did you get started? “I was working at a warehouse. … My tint guy, Carlos Avila — I would bring him cars all the time — we developed a friendship. He opened up a shop and asked if I wanted to learn how to tint. I was a manager for four years. … In 2019, I bought a townhouse with a garage, taking on clients. … When COVID-19 happened, it got super busy. … I saw my opportunity, started my business in 2020.” What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Do it. It’s scary. It’s high risk. But the reward is so much higher.” Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact him at [email protected]. ...read more read less