---
title: "Building Tint World: The Makings of an Auto Empire"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/e6664940-f0b5-4bb9-b695-25c8ef2b0f8a
source: "Empires Weekly"
original_url: https://empirespod.substack.com/p/building-tint-world-the-makings-of
author: "Patrick Buckley"
category: "Repair & maintenance"
industry: "Automotive"
segment: "Repair & maintenance"
published: 2026-08-10T12:12:43.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T13:15:34.056Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1524749292158-7540c2494485?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Building Tint World: The Makings of an Auto Empire

**TL;DR:** Tint World, founded by Charles Bonfiglio, aims to reach 500 units within five years. The company has over 150 locations and has brought on a private equity partner after decades of bootstrapping.

*By Patrick Buckley, originally published in Empires Weekly on 2026-08-10. [Read the original](https://empirespod.substack.com/p/building-tint-world-the-makings-of).*

## Story

Charles Bonfiglio, founder and CEO of Tint World, shares how he went from growing up in his father’s Brooklyn clothing factory to becoming one of Meineke’s top franchisees and eventually building Tint World into a national franchise system. He explains how he learned franchising from the operator side, why he bought Tint World, and how he spent years refining the model before accelerating growth. Charles also breaks down his approach to leadership, unit economics, marketing, and why he ultimately brought on a private equity partner after decades of bootstrapping.

Today, Tint World has more than 150 locations, with Charles aiming for 500 units within five years.

## Entities

- unit expansion (topic)
- franchise growth (topic)
- Automotive (sector)
- private equity (topic)
- Tint World (company)
- Brooklyn, New York (location)
- Meineke (company)
- Empires Weekly (publication)
- Patrick Buckley (person)
- Charles Bonfiglio (person)

---
Originally reported by Patrick Buckley, Empires Weekly (https://empirespod.substack.com/p/building-tint-world-the-makings-of). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/e6664940-f0b5-4bb9-b695-25c8ef2b0f8a).