The year was 1987. The place was central Florida and the time was right for the introduction of a new innovative product for the decorative glass industry. Glass etching and sandblasting had been in existence for decades. With the economic boom, businesses of all kinds were springing up everywhere. With most new enterprises renting or leasing buildings an obvious problem resulted: Businesses desiring the elegant look of glass etching were hesitant to do so because they might need to relocate, creating the added expense of having to replace the etched glass when terminating the lease.

It was with this background setting that Etchlike came on the scene. Two individuals in Florida Tim Bove (a commercial artist), and Steve Joy (a marketing strategist) came up with a unique alternative. They developed a non-invasive liquid that once dry simulated the look and feel of real frosted etching. It could not be peeled off like stickers and decals yet its apparent permanence could be chemically altered if desired. While the liquid played the major roll, in this development the application procedure proved to be just as innovative. They found that rolling the liquid through a custom made stencil, allowed the same stencil to be used over and over again. This would make multiple applications less expensive. At last, the decorative industry had the best of both worlds: The apparent permanence of real etching yet the distinct feature of removability. Add the cost saving feature and it's easy to see how it quickly it became the choice for leased property.

For the first two years, the partners did many applications throughout central Florida. It didn't take long to realize they couldn't keep up with the demand. It was at this point that Steve Joy recommended they set up a productive art dept. that could easily supply stencils for many trained applicators. This step gave birth to licensed distributors throughout the U.S. and now around the world.

In the 1990's two important developments boosted Etchlike's popularity. One came from an unexpected source, the other from an obvious but previously overlooked industry.

The first came in the form of a memo from Pittsburgh Paint and Glass Incorporated (one of the worlds largest glass manufacturers) to all its glass distributors, the memo prohibited any further fabrication of their installed tempered glass*. Apparently, they feared major liability lawsuits. For years, etchers and sandblasters had been working on tempered glass knowing that it causes the glass to weaken and in many cases to shatter.

The other boost came from the residential glass industry. In the early nineties, one of our distributors did a Home and Garden Show in their area and presented the Etchlike product. They could not believe the hundreds of leads that came in including inquires from builders, developers, and interior decorators. Little did Etchlike Inc. realize that the residential market with its doors, windows, mirrors and glass furniture would rival the huge commercial market.

Since the early years, Etchlike has astounded the glass industry at regional, national, and international glass shows. Editorials have appeared in glass magazines and trade journals. Letters of inquiry have come from architects, interior decorators and glass manufacturers around the world. A client list would read like a who's who list in the commercial world. Theme parks, hospitals, shopping malls, restaurants, hotel chains and international airports to name just a few.

*(Tempered glass is a heat-treated process that strengthens glass and is required in commercial buildings)