Seeing a Window of Opportunity: Matthew and Kristy Yelle of Palmetto Protection Films took an entrepreneurial risk that rewarded

By Ashley Daniels

The husband-and-wife team of Matthew and Kristy Yelle, owners of Palmetto Protection Films, and their story of success mirrors the “slow and steady wins the race” classic of overcoming challenges and setbacks over the years.

The couple first met in the early 2000s, when Matthew began working at age 18 as a window tinter for a local company until 2008, The Great Recession. The owner, a retired veteran, decided it was best to retire and close the company, leaving everyone without jobs.

“Then a Food Lion management position pretty much fell in my husband’s lap, so that moved us to Hilton Head and back to North Carolina for the next 10 years,” says Kristy. “It gave him a lot of knowledge with management and handling a bunch of people underneath him, which was great. But he was miserable every day of his life. He hated it. He was just stuck indoors; it was retail, the hours were crappy, and he missed working with his hands.”

So, the Yelles returned to Myrtle Beach in 2018 to help a so-called friend with his window tinting business, which turned into the couple running the business while the “friend” went on a string of vacations. Then, Covid reared its ugly head with a global shutdown in 2020.

“I pretty much looked at Matthew and was like, ‘We can do this. We can figure it out. We can chart our own territory and never let anybody else ever be responsible for our wellbeing again,’” says Kristy. “And that’s how we started in the spring of 2020.”

Palmetto Protection Films began as a home-based business, with Matthew getting it started solo until 2021, when Kristy quit her job working remotely as a bookkeeper to begin working full time with her husband, running the business and managing marketing and admin tasks.

“The business skyrocketed once I started pouring my time into it, and the rest is history,” she says. “Here we are now, in 2024, closing out the books with four employees, plus Matthew and myself, and we’re looking to probably add two more employees in the spring.”

Today, they offer window tinting and film services in the automotive, home, business, safety/security, and decorative realms. Repeat clients and partnering with certain builders and contractors keep them busy.

Kristy’s personal favorite projects are the custom-designed decorative films they create for a client’s glass front doors, pantry doors, or any door.

“I think those are my favorite,” she says. “I love being able to see the client’s personality come through in their design. And then being able to make their vision come to life, put it on their door, and they’re amazed! … We actually just did one for a lady’s glass walk-in shower, and she wanted koi fish with this whole Japanese theme behind it, and she loved it.”

While Kristy doesn’t do the actual window film installations, she is fully committed to learning all that has to do with window film from the start.

“When we started this business, I did not know much about window film, but I’m a nerd, and so if I do something, I’m going to do it right,” she says with a laugh. “So I have educated myself a lot, and I would say I have the knowledge. I may not have the installation know-how, but I definitely have the scientific knowledge behind it.”

Kristy also challenged herself to become part of the International Window Film Association board in five to 10 years but accomplished her goal within two years. She is also passionate about giving back to the community, so she serves as an ambassador for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and volunteers with Leadership Grand Strand and the Horry Georgetown Homebuilders Association. Outside of work and service, she homeschools her two sons; one just graduated at age 18, and the other is a ninth grader.

So what’s her advice for anyone out there hankering to venture out into the world of self-employment?

“Don’t be scared,” says Kristy. “Don’t let your fear scare you out of taking what could possibly or most likely will be the greatest journey of your life.”

For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit Palmettoprotectionfilms.com.