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Blackout Tinting says its new exclusive dealer arrangement with XPEL will extend across company-owned stores and franchise locations. The Pennsylvania-based company has also announced that it is offering franchises.
Blackout Tinting founder Josh Poponick announced the agreement in a Facebook post from Las Vegas, supplied to this publication on November 5, 2026. He said he had signed an exclusive dealer agreement with XPEL, a supplier of automotive window film, paint protection film and other vehicle-protection products.
The detail that makes the announcement notable is its intended reach. Poponick said the agreement would keep both Blackout's corporate stores and its franchise locations aligned with XPEL products. His post described a relationship built over nine years and thanked Christopher Hardy and the XPEL team for their support.
The supplied post places Poponick in Las Vegas and includes group photos, one showing a document held for the camera. Its visible timestamp is relative, so the exact signing date was not independently verified. The specific contract terms were not made public in the material reviewed for this report.
Blackout has also announced a franchise program
In a post displaying a September 22 date, Blackout Tinting said it was opening full franchise opportunities in new markets. The company specifically distinguished that program from a simpler brand-licensing arrangement.
The franchise announcement said prospective owners would be buying into the Blackout operating system, with training, support and experience from the company's years in business. Blackout began as an automotive tint shop in 2011 and has expanded into paint protection film, ceramic coating, residential film and commercial film.
The company's current website lists five locations across Pennsylvania and Florida: Latrobe, North Pittsburgh, South Pittsburgh, Sarasota and South Florida. Those are existing listed locations, not a verified count of operating franchise units. The September announcement did not identify signed franchisees, newly opened franchised stores or a national opening schedule.
What does “exclusive” mean here?
Based on Poponick's explanation, the agreement appears to address which film brand Blackout locations will use. It should not be read as a claim that XPEL will supply only Blackout Tinting, or that every future Blackout location has already opened.
Also not disclosed in the Facebook post are the length of the contract, purchase commitments, pricing, support provisions or which specific XPEL product lines are covered. XPEL already identifies Blackout Tinting in its public installer network, and Blackout describes itself as a long-time XPEL dealer. That means the newly announced agreement concerns a newly signed arrangement within an existing relationship, not the beginning of their association.
XPEL lists Ryan Pape as its chairman, president and chief executive officer. Poponick referred to signing with XPEL's CEO and separately thanked Christopher Hardy. XPEL has publicly identified Hardy as a North American sales executive. Their names and roles should not be confused.
Why this matters for the tint industry
More tint and protection businesses are exploring franchises, multi-location operations and formal supplier programs. For an expanding franchise, using a shared supplier can make its product menu, training and buying process easier to standardize. It does not, on its own, establish what any franchisee will pay for film, whether a territory is available, or what results an individual store will produce.
For Blackout, the combination of its franchise announcement and its reported XPEL signing offers a clearer view of the planned model: independent franchise ownership under the Blackout brand, with XPEL positioned as its film partner.
The next details to watch are the franchise disclosure materials, territory openings, the first announced franchise agreements and whether Blackout or XPEL provides further contract information.
Dates, context & legal notes
Sources & reporting notes
- Blackout company history Blackout Tinting
- Blackout listed locations Blackout Tinting
- XPEL management XPEL
- Blackout Latrobe authorized installer listing XPEL
- Christopher Hardy, VP of North America XPEL
This article is an original, AI-assisted summary of the sources above. It does not claim firsthand reporting or independent product testing. Our editorial standards · Corrections policy