One of the Nation’s Top Paint Protection Film Dealers Calls Carmel Home

Photography Provided by PhotoByMeyer

Tucked away in an unassuming building on 3rd Avenue SW in the shadow of all the new development along the Monon Trail sits Clear Bra Indy, a homegrown business that PPF Magazine named one of the nation’s top paint protection film (PPF) dealers this year and last.

Recently, the highly skilled craftsmen at Clear Bra Indy were awaiting the arrival of a $1.3M Ferrari scheduled to be delivered into their capable hands thanks to their now nationwide reputation for impeccable work applying PPF, ceramic coatings, window tints and vinyl wraps to just about anything with an engine.

“There are collectors and others from around the country who have their vehicles delivered straight to us after they purchase them,” says Kyle Owen, owner and founder of Clear Bra Indy.

Those cars could belong to anyone from a head coach of the Dallas Cowboys to any number of IndyCar drivers, including Graham Rahal.

“A collector in California bought a car from Graham that we had protected and then called Graham to say it didn’t have any protective film on it,” Owen says. “Graham said to take a closer look, and when he did, he found it.”

That collector has since sent three of his other vehicles to Carmel from California “because of the quality of work we do,” Owen says. “People are willing to pay that transport fee just because they want us to do their work and nobody else.”

So, on any given day, that pristine workshop that could be easily missed sitting among the row of other businesses might have inside its walls one-of-a-kind Ford GTs, Ferraris, Corvettes or any other priceless collector cars. On average, Owen estimates the value of cars that pass through his shop each year to be somewhere around $63M. Last year, Clear Bra Indy saw a 68% increase in its revenue to more than $1.2M, the highest percentage of growth in its industry according to PPF Magazine.

But to Owen, his employees remain the real treasures.

“Many of my employees have been with me for years, and most of them have college degrees in other fields, but they are here because they just love doing this and have a passion for the cars like I do,” he says.

After all, you wouldn’t allow just anyone to work on a custom-made Ford GT that can sell on the open market for more than $2M, but Owen’s crew has finished nine of them.

“You have to hire the right person in the first place and each person here gets a say in who’s hired,” Owen says, explaining that new recruits spend time with each employee to see whether they are a good fit with the team. “We then find where they fit best and begin their training, and they receive a lot of training.”

In 1999, Owen turned his passion for protecting paint into a business when he began applying paint protection film on aircraft. In 2003, he started applying PPF to cars in their owner’s driveways.

Today, Owen has nearly 20 employees, and his love of protecting paint is coming full circle. Owen is heading back into people’s homes where he applies ceramic coating to help keep fingerprints, hard water spots, staining and even germs at bay.

“You can pretty much ceramic coat and protect just about anything, and we are starting to do more and more in people’s homes, such as stone countertops, stainless steel appliances and glass shower enclosures,” Owen says. “We even have protected a few outdoor kitchens and are testing to see how those hold up.”

And, if like Owen, your OCD gets the better of you, you can even coat your shoes to keep those pesky stains at bay.

To learn more about Clear Bra Indy, visit them online at clearbraindy.com or give them a call at 317-752-4151.