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Making
the world blacker,
one vehicle at at time.
The story of Forever BLACK
This month we're traveling
just outside of San Francisco to visit Marketing Business Advantage the home of
Forever BLACK products. Forever BLACK is the brainchild of visionary, entrepreneur
and genuinely nice person, Merrick Browne, MBA's founder and CEO. Back in the
early 1990's, Merrick was working for an automotive manufacturer when he
observed his employer replacing stained trim moldings on brand new cars before
they even went to the dealer. Looking around, he further noticed the stained
and sun-faded trim on most of the vehicles on the highway. Seeing a market
niche, Merrick resigned his 9 to 5 corporate job and spent the next 18 months
looking for a permanent solution to discolored and faded trim moldings. He
formed Marketing Business Advantage in 1992 and launched his first product,
Forever BLACK Bumper & Trim Dye. Twelve years later, his line has expanded
to three products. They are all unique in the industry and Merrick is on a
crusade to make the trim on your vehicle Forever BLACK.
An interview with Merrick
Browne
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Question:
For our customers unfamiliar with your product, what is Forever BLACK?
Answer: Forever BLACK is a
water-based, polymer dye that was designed to permanently restore plastic,
rubber and vinyl surfaces to a deep, black finish. Our most popular product is
Forever BLACK Bumper & Trim Reconditioner but we also make Forever
BLACK Tire Gel and
Forever BLACK Bed Liner
Gel.
Q:
Your products are all permanent dyes?
A:
Yes. We do not make short-term, cosmetic dressings. While nothing lasts forever,
we use the highest quality Carbon Black you can buy to create a finish that
should last two to three years with one application!
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Q:
What is your Bumper & Trim Reconditioner used for?
A:
Our Bumper & Trim Reconditioner
is widely used to restore sun-faded,
neglected or abused rubber, vinyl and plastic trim to a like-new appearance. In
the Southern U.S., sun-faded trim is a big problem. Over time, the black
moldings on your beautiful new vehicle will turn a dull, chalky gray.
Surface dressings may make the trim look better for 2 or 3 days but it's not
permanent. Typically, one coat of Forever BLACK will restore a deep black finish
that will last for years. Body shops use our product to restore rather than
replace trim that has been scuffed in an accident. Used car dealers use our
product to make the cars on their lot look better and detailers that prep cars
for auction will use our product. We're told that a Dollars worth of Forever
BLACK Trim Reconditioner can bring hundreds more on the auction block. You can
also use our product on belts and hoses under the hood, weather stripping around
doors and running boards.
Q:
Will Trim Reconditioner stain paintwork or glass?
A:
No. During application it can be wiped off paintwork and glass with a damp rag.
If you miss a spot and it dries on paintwork or glass it can be removed easily
using a mild polish. It will permanently stain clothing so you might want to
wear older cloths if you're going to restore the trim on your entire vehicle.
Q:
Can you use Forever BLACK Bumper and Trim Reconditioner to change the color of a
vehicle's trim?
A:
For the most part yes but it may not be as durable. For example, older Volvo's
came with dark gray trim moldings. Forever BLACK can be used to change the trim
to black which really updates the look of the car. I would stick with darker
colors. I wouldn't try to change white trim to black.
Q:
Are there any silicones in Forever BLACK?
A: Absolutely not! All our products
are body shop safe, 100% silicone free.
Q:
Once dried, can a customer use their favorite trim or vinyl dressing on top of
Forever BLACK?
A:
Yes, you can use either water-based or oil-based dressings over Forever BLACK.
Q:
Is there any type of trim that can not be dyed with Forever BLACK?
A:
Not really but there are some tricks to insure best results. When we receive a
complaint that Forever BLACK didn't work we know it's because the surface wasn't
properly cleaned. You must remove all silicone dressings before applying the
dye. We package a trim cleaner in our kit or use a tar remover like Stoner
Tarminator or a multi-purpose cleaner like Wurth Clean Solve. Forever BLACK
works best on textured plastics, rubber and vinyl. On smooth plastics, like
mirror housings, It is best to apply a thin coat, wipe it off wet, let it dry
and apply another thin coat. Multiple thin coats will yield a smoother,
streak-free finish. If possible, you should apply Forever BLACK out of direct
sunlight.
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Q:
How much trim will a 4 oz. bottle of dye cover?
A:
While every vehicle is different, it's safe to say that one bottle will easily
do all the trim on two full size cars with wheel arch moldings, rocker moldings
and belt line moldings.
Q: Is
one coat usually sufficient?
A:
Yes, one coat should restore a deep, black finish that will last two to three
years. If the trim is extremely chalky, I may elect to give it a second coat.
Q:
Can Forever BLACK restore the finish on wax-stained moldings and rubber bumpers?
A:
Absolutely. One coat will make the trim look like new.
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Q:
What is Forever BLACK Tire
Gel?
A:
Like our Trim Reconditioner, it's a permanent dye but it's a totally different
formula specifically designed for rubber. This is not a surface dressing and
contains no silicones. It permanently dyes tires a deep, rich black that will
last through at least 50 washings. A good customer of ours is a bus company that
uses Tire Gel to recondition the tires on their busses and even on the steps
that lead into the bus. Tire Gel is also perfect for motorcycle tires. It
contains no silicones and dries completely. Once dry it will not attract any
dust or road grime.
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Q:
If you use Forever BLACK Tire Gel to dye your tires can you still use your
favorite tire dressing on top of it?
A:
Yes on automotive and truck tires but not on motorcycle tires. You should not
use surface dressings on motorcycle tires.
Q: Can
you use Tire Gel to dye whitewalls and white letters black?
A:
No. Tire Gel should be used on black tires only. It will not turn whitewalls
black.
Q:
How many tires will your Tire Gel Kit treat?
A:
On average, 12 tires.
Q: Will
Tire Gel restore a black, like-new look to old, discolored and stained tires?
A:
Absolutely. Wash the tire thoroughly to remove any tire dressings. One coat of
Tire Gel will usually make the ugliest tire look like new!
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Q:
Lastly, what is Forever Black Bed Liner
Gel?
A:
Like our other products, it's a water-based polymer product specifically
designed to restore a like-new finish on drop-in or sprayed-on bed liners. This
is a great product for truck dealers. They can take a traded-in pick-up and make
the grungiest bed liner look great in one application.
Q:
Is one kit enough to restore a full size bed liner?
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A:
Yes, one kit will make a full size bed liner look like-new and the finish will
last for a year or more (depending on bed liner usage).
Forever BLACK factory tour:
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It's not very
glamorous but it all starts
here with the arrival of raw materials
in 55 gallon drums. |
Ingredients are
mixed in huge vats. |
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You don't want
to fall in here!
In fact, you don't want to be wearing good
clothes during the blending process! |
From the large
mixing vats, product is pumped into smaller containers, wheeled to the assembly
line and connected to the pouring machine. |
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The actual
assembly line starts here as empty bottles are placed on the
conveyer. |
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An automatic
filling machine fills
8 bottles at a time. |
Applicator caps
are installed on the bottles.
Yes, this is Merrick, the CEO, on the assembly line. |
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As the line
continues, a label machine
labels each bottle. |
At the end of
the line, kits are assembled. |
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Kits are packed
into boxes and shipped to stores nationwide.
Special thanks to the entire Forever BLACK family for letting
me come in and disrupt their production line. |
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This concludes our tour of
Forever BLACK. I would like to thank Merrick Browne for his time and hospitality
during our visit.
The next time you go to drive
your car, take a look at the trim. If it's sun-faded, wax-stained or dull, you
know the answer...Forever BLACK.
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