Ryan Pape has spent most of his life in San Antonio. He returned to San Antonio after college and worked in the IT area of a software company which would become XPEL Inc. As XPEL changed course, it also ran into bad financial problems. Ryan came back and led an unprecedented turnaround in part by putting his own money on the table to take care of the company. He also has been involved with the Witte and other charities in town.

Transcript:

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Justin Hill: Hello and Bienvenido, San Antonio. Welcome to the Alamo Hour discussing the people, places and passion that make our city. My name is Justin Hill, a local attorney, a proud San Antonion and keeper of chickens and bees. On the Alamo Hour, you’ll get to hear from the people that make San Antonio great and unique and the best kept secret in Texas. We’re glad that you’re here. All right. Welcome to Episode 20 of the Alamo Hour. Today's guest is Ryan Pape. Ryan serves as XPEL Inc's Chairman, President & CEO. He previously served in multiple different capacities within the organization before taking it over, which was at the time a sinking ship, fair?

Ryan Pape: Yes. I would say so.

Justin: We'll get into that a little bit more. You're also involved in the woody. You've got two kids. You and your wife live in San Antonio within the Loop. One of my oldest San Antonio friends actually.

Ryan: We go way back now.

Justin: '08, I think.

Ryan: '08?

Justin: Yes.

Ryan: That's by my math over 10 years. That's a long time.

Justin: It is and you were my neighbor's friend who I met through them. I actually went back the other day to see if one of my other neighbors who lived across from them was still alive and he was and his wife.

Ryan: That's good, still there.

Justin: They're very old, very poor health and very happy to see me. Ryan, you've listened to a few of these. We're going to go through a top 10 but I've decided it has to be a top 10 in 10, because I had a previous guest who went really, really long on one single question and changed-

Ryan: Maybe that was the best part of the whole show.

Justin: It just wasn't.

[laughter]

Justin: It objectively was not. When and why did you move to San Antonio?

Ryan: In 1993 at the time SBC, which became AT&T relocated to San Antonio, my dad worked for them, so we moved from St. Louis.

Justin: He was a pilot, right?

Ryan: He was, yes. He was a pilot since retired but that brought us here.

Justin: Have you lived here straight since? You went to UT?

Ryan: Went to UT. Move back after that. With the exception of UT, I've been here the whole time.

Justin: What parts of town have you lived in? You've lived in the 09 areas since I've known you?

Ryan: Yes. Still live there now. I was up in Stone Oak from that '93 on to going to UT [crosstalk] there was nothing.

Justin: I was about to say more country back then.

Ryan: Yes. I remember the last stoplight was maybe like 281 in Brook Hollow and maybe there was a stop sign 281 and 1604 and then on. It's a lot different.

Justin: Were you outside 1604 then?

Ryan: Outside 1604. Stone Oak and Huebner. I remember there's a gas station there. I remember when that was built.

Justin: Was it a gated community?

Ryan: It was a gated community.

Justin: Because it's only gated community [crosstalk]

Ryan: I think that's your only choice, right?

Justin: I don't understand it though. You're already in Stone Oak.

Ryan: You need safety. I don't know. I don't live in a gated community now and I feel perfectly safe.

Justin: I have a gate on my driveway, does that make me a gated community?

Ryan: You're more gated than most people.

Justin: All right. This is a morphus question now or changed question because of what's going on and you also have-- you're a faster?

Ryan: Yes.

Justin: Is there any restaurant y'all have been frequenting or getting to go since all of this has started?

Ryan: Well so maybe you talk about before it started. My last favorite restaurant before this started was the Magpie Highbury market.

Justin: I still haven't been.

Ryan: My wife and I ate there I think the week right or within days of the shutdown because we had the hand sanitizer out but it wasn't going to stop us.

Justin: It's Asian food right?

Ryan: Yes. It's Korean influence and it was exceptional. I believe [crosstalk]

Justin: They're still doing to-go.

Ryan: They were doing to-go. I don't know. I haven't done to-go with them. We've done lots of to-go and carry-out.

Justin: Have you done [crosstalk]

Ryan: No.

Justin: Dude, do it. It's the best Chinese food.

Ryan: We talked about it. We were going to go there and then it's like-

Justin: Deliver.

Ryan: - too far.

Justin: Deliver?

Ryan: Yes. We like to pick up, we're going out.

Justin: Well, pick up it's behind Ingram Park Mall. They'll deliver to my house so maybe yours.

Ryan: Yes. Want to try it. Did a lot of takeout though. Did a lot of Barbaro. Got a lot of wine from Little Death.

Justin: We did Sabor yesterday.

Ryan: Try to do our best.

Justin: Lots of people at the bar, no masks. It's a little disconcerting.

Ryan: You got asked the question these days.

Justin: I think you're the only time I've ever been to Big Lou's by the way.

Ryan: I think that was the only time I've ever been to Big Lou's.

Justin: I didn't feel great after that.

Ryan: You remember the place by Bandera town, not the street. What was that place called?

Justin: Mac and Ernie's.

Ryan: A couple weeks ago, ended up driving by.

Justin: Really?

Ryan: It's still there. Although I couldn't tell if it moved across the highway.

Justin: The last time I drove by it was a much bigger concern.

Ryan: It was a bigger building. It wasn't the tiny little place but that was probably close to that 10-year mark-

Justin: We thought we were real hip doing little road trips to restaurants [crosstalk]

Ryan: We were really hip. We thought it was cool.

Justin: Little death also did an event where they served a Italian style of tripe with the chef from Feast.

Ryan: I saw that.

Justin: I went.

Ryan: I wasn't.

Justin: It was pretty funky. The food was funky and everybody-

Ryan: Tripe is funky, right?

Justin: Yes. Everybody had been having a very good time by the time I show up and that was very behind.

Ryan: The wine is not very expensive there, so it's easy to have a good time. Or so I'm told.

Justin: It was like a pot of food and you just served yourself.

Ryan: Well, I've been impressed with what they're doing during the shutdown. Congrats to them.

Justin: Are you wanting to go there?

Ryan: Yes.

Justin: Okay. I haven't done that yet.

Ryan: I have and I've meticulously catalogued it with the idea, I'm going to go buy it again.

Justin: Well, maybe you'll invite me over to have a glass of wine because you tell me every time I see you that that's going to happen and never ever ever.

Ryan: Some people might be really insulted by that.

Justin: I'm not.

Ryan: You just take it in stride.

Justin: No, I'm not. There's lots of people that see me and they're like, "We should hang out." Then clearly they look at their wife or significant others like, "We're not calling that guy."

Ryan: I actually mean it. I may not show it, but I do mean it.

Justin: All right. Favorite hidden gems in San Antonio where you tell people when they come to San Antonio, "Okay. You've seen the Alamo blah, blah, but go check it out this stuff."

Ryan: Well, it's hard to call it a hidden gem but I really go for the mission reach on San Antonio River.

Justin: I think it's fair.

Ryan: Probably more people from out of town see it than people who live here. I think I ended up talking about that hidden gem a lot.

Justin: They extended it four miles, I think.

Ryan: Cycle along that a lot I forget which road it goes down to and then the golf course across the street you can actually keep going after that around the Medina River. I think it's amazing. You've got nature. You've got history. You're outside. You can wander off obviously up to all the missions. The fact that more people here haven't ever done it, [crosstalk] do it regularly like I do is surprising.

Justin: How often you do it?

Ryan: Probably once a week at minimum.

Justin: No joke.

Ryan: I've really cycling a lot there and then the Greenway trails [crosstalk] creek myself.

Justin: What kind of bike?

Ryan: I have a couple of track bikes.

Justin: Are you clipping in and road biking the trail?

Ryan: I didn't start that way, but I do now.

Justin: It's very aggressive for that trail, I think. People are just horrified as you head towards them?

Ryan: No. I have a bell. I call out. I try to be a good-

Justin: I'd like to go ride it with you.

Ryan: I'll do it with you.

Justin: I can't keep up with you probably.

Ryan: Well, we'll do it a few times and you will be able to.

Justin: You're very aerodynamic these days.

Ryan: I can get you in fighting shape.

Justin: I ride on a trainer every morning. I clip in.

Ryan: Then you're good. I'll do it.

Justin: It's so hard for me to unclip even from the trainer. I did hear The Pearl one time as a hidden gem. I wanted to gong him on that but I let it go.

Ryan: It's not that I wouldn't call that a hidden gem.

Justin: Okay. Are you still involved The Witty?

Ryan: No. I rolled off the board at The Witty. Still very much a fan of The Witty actually helping now with the game dinner. You've been to the game dinner. It's probably one of the best events in San Antonio. 50th anniversary this year October 19th, I think, tough year but it's going to be a really big event, some changes for the COVID situation.

Justin: Is it planning on moving forward?

Ryan: Yes, absolutely.

Justin: At The Witty?

Ryan: At the Witty, fewer people. It got to be a really big event I think 1,500 people maybe. It's going to be a little bit smaller.

Justin: Which means ticket prices up.

Ryan: Ticket prices up as it should be.

Justin: Is XPEL sponsoring?

Ryan: Yes, we will for sure. We're actively looking for [unintelligible 00:08:17] tables and sponsorship-

Justin: How much are tables?

Ryan: They range I think-

Justin: From to-

Ryan: Normally 5,000, 10,000. I think may have gone up a little bit this year but it's absolutely one of the best events in town.

Justin: It's great.

Ryan: If anyone who hasn't done it, make it this year to do it. It's unique. It's not your typical seated dinner event in the ballroom somewhere. It's far from it.

Justin: That's absolutely right.

Ryan: It's really, really, really nice.

Justin: Are you on the board of any other non-profit-

Ryan: No. Not currently.

Justin: Taking a break?

Ryan: Well, I've really been focused on two things. One, the company is been really focused on that. Some of the things we've done the past two years and then trying to find the right fit for non-profit. You realize that the non-profit's need different things. How does that really fit with what I'm good at and what I want to do?

Justin: What you're passionate about?

Ryan: Well, yes. I think some of the smaller ones, they need people that are more operationally focused. They don't have big staff. They just literally need help with the day-to-day. Then some need more help, raising money or networking. I look at what I think our company should be able to do and over time, we should be able to support non-profits and other groups in a really meaningful way. I look at that, so that really plays to my strengths. Really focused on that but I'm going to get more involved if I find the right fit, I think is the plan.

Justin: There's one in town called Restore Education that Lindsay worked for, and they are a GED program, all free. It's the only one that has Spanish language GED, they have job training and get CNA. It's a lot of things like how Eric Cooper talked about how they spread out. I told them, I said, "If you get donors to your graduation, people are giving you money." It's such a touching-- I mean you've got 40, 50-year-old people walking the stage with their family there. The same as if they were 18. It's just so touching. I think that's the hard thing for a non-profit to do is to make that connection with people like that.

Ryan: Yes, I think that's where good board members and others can help do that. Can help spread the message, and there's so many good non-profits and so much need always. Like we talked about with the food bank that you do get lost in the noise a little bit. Trying to get people to help bring him out of that. I think it's important.

Justin: Do you have any in the hopper right now you're thinking about? You don't have to tell me, but are there some you're vetting and are vetting you?

Ryan: We were thinking about it. I want to be able to contribute. I want a place that wants the kind of contribution that I can do.

Justin: Sure, everybody wants money, but it's better to feel like you're more than that to a board.

Ryan: Right, and I think my contribution to the board is more than that. Then I need to work hard to make sure our company can support all the communities that we're in. Both are important and may be best suited for how I can contribute.

Justin: Right. You recently got to ring the bell on the NASDAQ. Was there any Wizard of Oz kind of behind the curtain to that, that you are like "Oh, this isn't what I expected?"

Ryan: Well, it was an amazing experience. I think for me it makes you think about all of the assumptions that you make when you look at people doing things. You'd look at somebody who rings a bell on at NASDAQ and what do you think? You must think they're smart, they're rich or they're special or they are this or they are that. Then you're there the guy doing it. I'm kind of looking around like just the guy.

Justin: Yes, heady.

Ryan: They did a great job. You know you are in a very small room. It's super well-produced, super well-organized. We brought a big group from our team. What we did really, that I think a lot of companies didn't do was really went by tenure with the company. We brought the really I would say, almost exclusively or two to a point, people that had been with us the longest time. That was a really cool experience. I love doing it.

Justin: You're in a room and then do they love to shuffle you under the balcony or what the-

Ryan: Well, you're in the NASDAQ like the market sites. It's a studio in time square. You're thinking maybe NYSC they got the outdoor that

[crosstalk]

Justin: It's like a balcony kind of look isn't it?

Ryan: No, no. There's a table with a big screen because NASDAQ's all digital. There's no trading floor. It's very impressive. They did an amazing job and an impressive studio.

Justin: I saw it, I just in my mind put you on a balcony. Maybe with long flowing hair too. [crosstalk] I made this all up in my brain.

Ryan: I hope a lot of people looked at it and thought it was better than they thought too.

Justin: You were also recently on the San Antonio Business Journal's podcast even though I asked first. Why?

Ryan: Was that the order of events?

Justin: [laughs] I listened to it today, very different format.

Ryan: Very different format, yes different audience-

Justin: You sounded like Harvard Business Journal in a podcast guest.

Ryan: I'll take that as a compliment.

Justin: It was dense.

Ryan: You know maybe now people will see that if they thought I was smart, I'm not that smart. It was just good editing.

Justin: I was listening thinking, "Oh, shit, he's a lot smarter than I thought he was or...