Open for Business

That dime-sized hole on your leather coat or car seat is not only unsightly, but it's a tough do-it-yourself fix.

So you might want to forgo the duct tape route in favor of GTK Creative Colors in Fort Myers.

GTK will do the job right, sending a van equipped with air compressors, generators, air hose retractor heat guns and dyes to your business or home. The company offers on-site repairs for leather, vinyl, fabric, plastics and carpeting, serving the auto and marine industry, restaurants, hotels, motels, movie theatres, daycare centers, airlines, and furniture stores.

"We strive to surpass warranty quality," says vice president Kelli Bollman. "We mix-and-match colors by eye because fabric color fades over the years."

GTK is a home-based spin-off of Creative Colors International (CCI), which evolved out of J&J Creative Colors, a family-owned company that originated in the Chicago area more than 30 years ago. Bollman siblings Kelli, Gary and Terri wanted to open up shop on their own, so they started a franchise division of CCI and named it GTK, a combination of their initials.

Bollman says her mother, JoAnn Foster, is the heart of the business. In 1980, tired of working for others, she studied an article on vinyl dying. She took what she learned and approached car dealers, asking for repair work. Within two weeks, she had so much business she convinced her husband to quit his job and assist in the new venture.

Now there are more than 62 CCI franchises and 150 mobile units operating throughout the United States and Canada.

"Our restoration products and techniques garnish long-term high-quality results," Bollman says. "We are not the quick-fix gimmicks you see on infomercials."