"I didn't know if I would really make any money doing this. I just knew I wanted to be excited when I woke up every day for work."
Grafting business and passion together to achieve fulfillment and satisfaction—while still paying the bills—seems a natural goal for small business owners. Troy Dorn, owner of Gorilla Mad Film Wraps, has done just that with his Redmond, Washington–based business. Troy's affinity for drawing started when he was only 2 years old, and from there, his lust for creativity only grew. Fast-forward a bunch of years, and his passion—combined with hard work, dedication, and an expectation of success—grew into a business. Not only is he the owner, but he is also the sole installer, doing every wrap from start to finish. The only other person working with him at this time is his sales associate.
Troy has wrapped cars, trucks, boats, trailers, buses, and airplanes. However, vehicle wraps are not the be-all and end-all of Troy’s business. Other services include commercial graphics, signs, banners, stickers, decals, paint protection, window tint, and all sorts of creative vinyl solutions for businesses. Not bad for a ground-up business that started with a 99-cent razor blade from Home Depot and a $4 squeegee from eBay.
| 002 Gorilla Mad Wrap Films Ford Raptor
| 003 Gorilla Mad Wrap Films Ford Raptor
| 004 Gorilla Mad Wrap Films Ford Raptor
| 005 Gorilla Mad Wrap Films Ford Raptor
| 006 Gorilla Mad Wrap Films Ford Raptor
While the end product looks clean, natural, and almost simplistic, wrapping a vehicle is no small task. After all, it isn't your typical lick-’n’-stick venture. From vision to completion, the process requires a lot: a mastery of design to create the graphics, mechanical skill to disassemble and reassemble exterior pieces, and patience to systematically prep and apply the wrap. The end result, exemplified through this urban camo’d Ford Raptor, is well worth it.
