Orlando, Fla. - "It was great to finally be able to compete in my area of expertise", said Charlie Arakelian. Charlie Arakelian of Northeast Tint Co. in Springfield, Mass., has won second place in the First Annual International Window Film Architectural Film Tint-Off™. The competition was held February 27, 2005, in Orlando, Fla. Charlie participated in a highly competitive Tint-Off that required him to contend against other champions from around the world by tinting the glass on an aluminum framed window system.

Charlie received a silver medal for his second place finish. He resides in Springfield where his company, Northeast Tint Co., is also located. He was nominated to compete in the competition by film supplier Bekaert Specialty Films based in Clearwater, Fla.
When Charlie was asked how competitive he found the Tint-Off, he stated, "Very. It's nerve-wracking, so that makes for a more interesting competitive situation." The Architectural Film Tint-Off was well received from both competitors and spectators. "It's been such a pleasure to finally have an internationally recognized shooting point to gauge industry standards. For more than 10 years it seems that when I'm on the job, whether it's residential or commercial, I find myself competing for 'world's best tinter' on a personal level," Charlie added.

Ron Jones of Film Solutions Unlimited, Inc. in Sarasota, Fla., was awarded the grand prize in the competition, with a gold medal and $1000 cash prize. Contestants were judged on the quality of application, absence of light gaps as well as cleanliness of the system.

The International Window Film Conference, Expo and Tint-Off are co-sponsored by the International Window Film Association and WINDOW FILM magazine. Both based in Virginia, the organizations have joined in an effort to offer quality educational programming to the growing window film industry.

For more information, visit www.windowfilmmag.com