LAPLACE — Growing up in Kenner, Tony Bennett had a friend who used to paint cars for his friends.

Bennett thought that was pretty cool.

“I said I wanted to do stuff for my friends, too,” he said.

So Bennett learned how to tint car windows and started doing that for his pals.

He had a lot of pals. He also built a reputation for doing things right and doing things quick.

So he got more friends.

Eventually, Bennett opened his own tinting business in a former gas station in LaPlace, a “laid back” environment where he could do a little tinting and race his stock car in his spare time.

Now it’s 30 years later and Tony’s Tinting is a thriving business (in a new location) offering a wide variety of services, but with the same reputation.

“They know we’re going to get it done right and we can get it done quick,” Bennett said.

Well, sometimes folks want it a little too quick, which keeps Bennett on the phone and on the road (often at the same time) and keeps his staff hopping.

This week, while Bennett was off handling a job in New Orleans, Jimmy George was taking care of a guy who wanted a darker visor on his front windshield.

Meanwhile Mike O’Neal was making yard signs, his wife Monica O’Neal was overseeing the printing of an extra large sign and Shay Ferguson was finishing up a batch of summer camp T-shirts.

Bennett, who now lives in Montz, is rarely in the shop (in a new location) that bears his name.

Rather, he’s criss-crossing the state — even the country at times — tinting everything from cars and trucks to big box stores.

He just finished tinting the store windows at a New Orleans hospital and recently completed a Bath and Body Works store in Alexandria. He also oversaw the tinting of all the RaceTrac gas stations throughout the state, including the LaPlace location, which recently underwent a renovation.

He even worked on the late B.B. King’s tour bus.

Bennett’s business is not about just cars and trucks anymore.

“That’s a small percentage of what we do,” Bennett said.

Tony’s Tinting designs and produces signs, banners and decals of all sizes, T-shirts and various other promotional items, as well as flyers, business cards and just about anything else one can think of.

The staff also is skilled in producing and installing custom designed vehicle wraps, which can turn anything on wheels into an eye-catching rolling billboard — or just change the color.

Mike O’Neal said he recently did a wrap on a Ferrari for an owner who didn’t want to devalue his car.

“You have to send it overseas to have it painted or it lowers the value,” O’Neal said. “With this, he can just get it removed and it’s back to the original.”

Wraps also are used on other items, including ATM machines.

Bennett credited friend Harold Degruy of LaPlace Glass for helping push him in the right direction.

Tinting is still the backbone of his business and he does everything from cars and trucks to RVs, campers, office buildings and, yes, houses with everything from the darkest “limousine” tint to a clear coating that still can reduce 90 percent of glare and 85 percent of heat.

He even can install Smart Tint, which can go from frosted to clear with the click of a button.

“We have to keep up with the technology,” Bennett said.

Tony’s Tinting and Signs is located at 124 E. Airline Hwy in LaPlace and is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment only on Saturday.

Call 985-652-5511 or visit tonyssignsandprinting.com.