Part of a new generation of entrepreneurs, Andy's Auto Tint renovates a Highland shop and enters the Louisiana StartUp Prize competition

Wes Merriott, Andy's Auto Tint, Shreveport



Andy Ezell, Andy's Auto Tint, Shreveport



Andy's Auto Tint has recently moved into a historic building in Highland, says Wes Merriott.

"This building has a rich history and we've tried to maintain it's vintage appeal. According to its most recent owners, our building was built sometime in the late 1890's to shoe horses and do general blacksmithing.

In the years that followed, it was Shreveport's first Cadillac dealership, the first gas station outside of "downtown" Shreveport, the first Office of Motor Vehicles in the area, an automotive service station and parts house, then slipped into vacancy for the last 20 years.

We faithfully restored her to a retro, 60's-era auto garage, and we want to let people know about the new life being breathed into this building in Highland."

Wes and partner Andy Ezell recently entered the Louisiana StartUp Prize. "We learned that there are tons of great entrepreneurs in our area with some very exciting ideas. From environmentally-friendly concrete to video game designers and food critics, there's a good bit of brilliance in our area, just waiting to make it big and change the world. We met some really cool dudes who are doing great things in a wide gamut of fields.

Secondly, we were encouraged that our marketing plan was well-developed, and prompted us to more fully engage our social media partners. You'll start seeing more blog posts, tweets, and facebook specials from us in the future.

Lastly, we learned that we have a real shot at the LA Start Up Prize "FINAL FINAL" event with a change to win $50,000 and direct links to investors. As one of the few entrants with an operating business and existing revenue stream, we've already proven our plan works, and we have a scale-able plan to grow into the future. We are super stoked to see what the next month's qualifier has in store for us," adds Merriott.