Brian Beltzfirst saw a bubble service van at a Nexstar Super Meeting in 2004.
“They were wrapping it right there on the floor,” he says. “At first I wasn’t sure about it. It looked like a big, pregnant van.”
Beltz changed his tune after giving it some more thought.
“Something that different definitely would stand out against other contractor vans,” he recalls thinking.
Beltz, the owner of Findlay, Ohio-based Beltz Home Service, purchased two Chevy Express vans with Unisell Aerocell bubble bodies. He couldn’t be happier with the decision.
“I like the back end of it. It’s so large,” says Beltz, a Navy veteran who started his company in 2001. “We had a guy who used to work for us; he was 6 ft., 5 in. and could stand up in the truck just fine. There is plenty of room to walk around and plenty of room for storage. We haul all kinds of things.”
Beltz worked with the local Sign Zoo affiliate and with Findlay-based custom sign and graphics shop Signed by Josette to produce the wrapping, which features photos of a watch, a light bulb, a faucet and a repairman on the sides of the truck.
“I wanted to come up with some icons that show people what we do,” he says. “We have the faucet, the air-conditioning unit and the Maytag man. When people drive by they can take a quick glance and see what we do, rather than spending time reading a bunch of writing.”
A unique aspect to the wrap design is located on the back doors, which feature an image of Beltz standing inside the van. “It looks like the door is open,” he says.
A removable cartoon bubble sticker located near Beltz’s mouth is used to spotlight various company messages.
“We change the bubble every few months to highlight different products and services,” he says. “We can print out what we want and place it on the sticker.”
Beltz says the combination of the bubble truck and the wrapping has paid big dividends. “Our secretary always asks customers how they hear about us,” he says. “Eight of 10 people say they’ve seen our trucks either in their neighborhood or somewhere in town.”
Beltz Home Service has three trucks and four employees that cover the 70,000-population city of Findlay. The company mainly focuses on residential plumbing, electrical and heating/air-conditioning service repair and replacement. Beltz also benefits from table-top restaurant advertising, local radio and Internet ads, and a successful service maintenance program.
“We have loyal customers,” explains Beltz, who notes that the insight gained from best practices group Nexstar is another important factor in the company’s recent prosperity. “Our techs wear clean uniforms and we always answer the phone in person. It’s all about being professional, showing up on time, doing a good job and following up with the customer. Those are our keys to success.”
