Today we’d like to introduce you to Jarad King.
Hi Jarad, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My brother Justin and I wanted to put TVs on our outside patios but couldn’t find a reasonable option. Solutions at the time ranged from impractical grill covers for TV protection to budget-buster outdoor TVs costing approximately $6,000 to $10,000. Clearly, those solutions weren’t ideal.
In 2009, we started the business venture of our lives. Determined to develop a better alternative, we launched Protective Enclosures Company, and worked on a weatherproof, sturdy, secure, and economical outdoor TV option. After troubleshooting, researching, and engineering, eventually The TV Shield branded weatherproof TV enclosure was born. The TV Shield (which is manufactured in the USA) is designed to help prevent vandalism and handle harsh environments including threats like rain, moisture, impact from objects in storms, hot or cold temperatures, and insects. A durable and water-resistant TV case, The TV Shield’s ultra-clear front panel easily opens for a direct view of the TV, allowing viewers to watch, protect, and secure nearly any TV in almost any environment. We were excited to introduce a TV protection option to the market at 50-75% less cost than alternatives with much longer durability. The product took off with features on TV shows like Designing Spaces and popularity across the country. Our dream was coming true.
As the demand has grown across both residential and commercial markets, Protective Enclosures Company has expanded our product line and brand portfolio to become the leading US based manufacturer of lightweight, cost effective TV and digital signage enclosures, now offering The TV Shield®, The TV Shield PRO™, The TV Shield PRO Lite™, The TV Shield PRO Portrait™, and The Display Shield® as well as anti-ligature and touch screen solutions. As a business owner, it blows my mind that as of 2021, our enclosures can be found in over 31,000 locations in 44 countries everywhere from homes to various businesses such as Marriott, Sheraton, TGI Friday, P.F. Chang, Houlihan’s, Bahama Breeze, Walmart, Taylor Farms, Six Flags, Talladega Superspeedway, Everbank Field (home of the Jacksonville Jaguars), Bryant-Denny Stadium (at the University of Alabama), AT&T Stadium (arena of the Dallas Cowboys), Times Square, and much more. It leaves me so grateful and amazed to consider how far the company has come.
Protective Enclosures Company holds an A+ rating with the BBB and has been highlighted by various news reporters and TV shows including Fox News, Lifetime Network’s hit show: Designing Spaces and HGTV’s popular show Spontaneous Construction. From homes, restaurants, theme parks, sports arenas (stadiums), airports, government facilities, schools, correctional institutions, and hospitals to factories, organizations across various industries have found a trusted TV protection solution in PEC’s products. It is a true honor. There have been ups and downs… personal losses, business lessons, and learning along the way. But the personal fulfillment of creating and being part of something meaningful and helpful that touches not only homes and businesses across the globe but supports the lives and families of the company team and my own loved ones, is just incredible.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think you would be hard pressed to find an entrepreneur and business owner that would say it’s been a smooth road and they haven’t hit bumps or flat-out potholes. If they do, they most likely just forgot those bumps and potholes along the way. Launching this business without having a background in engineering, product development, manufacturing, or bringing consumer and commercial products to market was hard and something that we had to teach ourselves. I wouldn’t say it was a struggle but rather a commitment to dig in deep to educate ourselves on what needed to be done and to work diligently to successfully execute. We have had plenty of struggles along the way that included manufacturing issues and changes, vendor supplied parts that created major recalls, personnel issues, and personal losses. In today’s world it is harder than ever dealing with the supply chain and labor shortage issues we are battling each day. But, with these struggles comes great reward if you focus, execute your vision, and stay honest and caring to your customers, employees, and vendor partners.
What else can you tell us about Protective Enclosures Company?
Protective Enclosures Company (PEC) is an A+ BBB rated privately held, US-based manufacturer of affordable, lightweight, weatherproof and secure protective enclosures for TVs and digital displays/signage. Manufacturer of the patented The TV Shield ®, The Display Shield ®, The TV Shield PRO ®, The TV Shield PRO Portrait ® and The TV Shield PRO Lite ® branded TV and display enclosures, PEC’s products are popular with residential, professional, and commercial customers.
PEC stands committed to providing the most user friendly, affordable, versatile, and highly engineered protective enclosures in the industry. PEC is fueled by a desire to create US-based jobs and manufacture the highest quality products. The affordability and quality of products and our deep dedication to customer service sets us apart.
From top to bottom, the PEC team is committed to the research and development of solutions-based products to protect equipment in outdoor residential installations and harsh or extreme indoor and outdoor commercial environments. Professional AV installers trust PEC’s proprietary patented enclosures for installation in residential applications as well as arenas, stadiums, theme parks, restaurants, bars, airports, healthcare facilities, hotels, schools, training facilities, government buildings, retail environments, institutions, and a wide variety of additional locations. As of 2021, our enclosures protect TVs, digital displays, and digital signage in over 31,000 locations in 44 countries.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
This list could go on forever, but I will touch on just a few. My very first business I opened was a startup smoothie café called Maui Smoothie. My wife and I worked our tails off creating the concept, look and feel of the branding, all the recipes, an awesome build out, and launched the business in record time. It went great and was profitable for year one and some of year two.
Then 2008 hit. Food costs nearly doubled on our products and consumer spending was dipping. This business ultimately closed a year later because of a few major mistakes I made. I didn’t truly know my numbers and margins from the beginning, I didn’t raise my prices out of fear of losing customers or renegotiate with vendors when I needed to, and I flat out took my eye off the ball because I was in the process of launching another business. Know your numbers and margins, don’t be scared to raise your pricing if you are offering a superior product or to hammer your vendors for lower pricing or change vendors all together, and never take your eye off the ball. This doesn’t mean don’t start other businesses or create other income streams. Just be sure you focus on one thing at a time and that you have sufficient personal bandwidth and the hours in a day to know you are giving each business or task one hundred percent.
These few early lessons have helped me immensely in other businesses I have started and am running today.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@protectiveenclosures.com
- Website: https://www.thetvshield.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetvshield/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetvshield
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/theTVshield
Image Credits
http://www.elmwoodforest.com/
