Gabriel Fernandez is sanding the bed of a 2002 black F–150 inside the 22,000–square–foot facility ofAuto Masters Body & Paint, after repairing damage the truck sustained during a rear end hit.
After the body technician finishes, a production manager will carefully inspect Fernandez’s work.Once approved, the bed will move to the prep station where it will be primed to be made as smoothas possible before being placed inside one of several paint booths that resemble a brightly–lit scientificlaboratory.
“The fans filter the paint up and keep the dirt out of the booth,” certified estimator Roberta Chavarriasays over the loud, whirring noises coming from the grated ceiling. “Once the paint has been laidand sprayed, the booth has a heat system that starts the baking procedure. This room gets very hot.”
After the paint has dried, a vehicle will move to a reassembly area where any necessary front–endalignments will be made. “A machine will give you a printout to let you know the vehicle has beenaligned to factory specifications again,” Chavarria says.
Next, a technician will reassemble door handles, molding, trimpanels and other parts. Then after the car is buffed, it is taken to awash bay and finally ready for pick up by its owner.
“We run on a 95 to 98 percent on–time completion, and we doabout 100 to 120 cars a month at the (San Pedro) location and about40 to 50 at Starcrest,” says Billie Baker, owner of Auto Masters.
Billie, 51, and her husband, Daniel Baker, 55, have operated AutoMasters, a leading body and paint shop at 12227 San Pedro, since1975. They also run a second shop in Seguin, 116 W. Cedar St. anda fleet store at 12066 Starcrest. A fourth location opens November1 at 8803 Oakland. Plans are in the works to open a shop in Victoriaand Corpus Christi.
“We’re expanding, and I still think we can do two stores a year,”Daniel says of the decision to open the new San Antonio shop.“We’ve been small for a number of years, but we’re finally to thepoint where we’re thinking we should be the big boys on the block.”
The two met when the 1975Fiat she owned was in needof repair after the clutch wentout. Unsatisfied with the workdone on her car at the firstof the only two independentshops in town that worked onforeign cars, Billie took it to thegarage where Daniel was a mechanic.
“I always kid him that hepurposely made sure my carwouldn’t start when I went topick it up,” she says, “so it wouldgive him the opportunity totalk with me for about an hourand–a–half to get to know me.”
After working for independentauto shops and dealerships for a number of years, Danieldecided to go into business for himself. At first, he and Billie startedtheir shop, which included a towing service, with their catchy tagline,“We meet our best customers by accident.”
“We got out of (the towing business) because we wanted to focuson our body shop business,” Billie says.
Auto Masters operates on a Lean Repair Production Process,which, Billie explains, saves customers time and money. “If I’m waitingon parts, get the car up on the frame machine. If it needs coresupport, mechanical work or upholstery, let’s get those things done,”the certified estimator says. “So you’re looking at a lean productionin a timely manner. The main thing is to get it done right and makesure you maintain customer service.”
“I’m not a mechanic by trade, but I do know parts, and I knowhow a car should be fixed correctly and enough about frameworkand alignments to make sure the guys on the floor are doing the jobright. We constantly do quality control. When a car gets throughat one area, it can’t move forward until it’s been (inspected) six orseven times.”
Chrystal Naujoks, whose mother and father were mechanics, isa new hire and the only female detailer who works on the floor. Herduties range from taking pictures to removing car parts and reassemblingthem.
“I love my job. When a car comes in, I’ll go over an estimate to makesure nothing was missed,” Naujoks says. “I’ll take it apart to make surethere’s no hidden damage because when a car has been wrecked, youdon’t always know what’s in there. There could be wires that are damaged.”
Customers can view repairs being done on their vehicles by loggingonto the company’s Web site to see pictures of their car in variousphases of the repair process. They will also find that Auto Masterskeeps a tidy shop, unlike the dark and dingy garages of years past.
“Everything is laid out. It’s very visual for anybody who walks intothe shop,” Billie says. “We welcome you to stop by to see your car. Weeven videotape your car for UPD (unrelated prior damage) when it firstcomes in. It protects the customer and the shop.”
When their new location opens on Oakland, it will be first “green”body shop in San Antonio. “We will shoot water–bourne paint so you’reeliminating all the hazardous chemicals in the process of refinishinga vehicle,” Billie says. “You’ll have a cleaner product, and it’s safer foremployees and environmentalfriendly.”
Grateful for their success, theBakers insist on giving back tothe community, which they dothrough a national program calledBenevolence in conjunction withtheir Sikkens paint companyAkzo Nobel Coatings. DuringChristmas, Auto Masters paintsand restores a used vehicle that isdonated to a needy family who is arecipient of the non–profit organizationParent/Child Inc.
“Our vendors donate the parts,and our guys donate their time doingrepairs,” Billie says. “We will dothree cars this year. As we havegrown and been blessed in the industry, we want to give back.”
To show their appreciation for their employees, the Bakers allowthem to fire up the grill every Friday afternoon for an on–site barbecueas long as their work is done. “We always support our employees becausewe’re like one big family,” says the owners’ 22–year–old daughter,Carly, who along with her sister, Andrea, 24, are involved in marketingAuto Masters.
Carly is a budding entrepreneur. She is owner of Blonde, a men’s andwomen’s clothing store, opening December 1 at La Arcadia in StoneOak. Andrea, who has her real estate license, also assists her dad withthe family’s commercial development business, DMB Enterprises.
When Daniel isn’t overseeing the day–to–day operations of thebusiness, he can usually be found at Olympic Gym, pumping iron. TheCalifornia native competes on the Texas bodybuilding circuit. He wasa recent contestant in a Lubbock competition, where he won first placein the Grand Master’s division.
On weekends, the couple often escapes to their beach house inNorth Padre Island for a bit of rest and relaxation. “My husband and Iare joined at the hip. We’ve worked together for 26 years. When I firststarted working for him, he fired me twice, and I quit three times,” Billiesays with a laugh. “Now he knows who’s the boss.”
