2020_ADN_V5_No3_web

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RICARDO MARTINEZ continued... We’re off to see… GUÐMUNDUR EINAR HALLDÓRSSON of Selfoss, Iceland What is the name of your operation and where is your operation located? It is known under the name Detail Ísland (Detail Iceland) But the name of the company is My Island and we are located in a town called Selfoss which is 50 km outside of the capital of Reykjavík. When did it open? The company was founded in 2015. Before that I had been color correcting cars for about 20 years. How did you learn about the detailing industry and the skills involved? I have had a massive interest in cars since I can remember. I burned through my first panel at age 11. Since then I have burned through probably 100 panels. My skills started to develop right before the year 2000 when I met an Italian guy rock climbing in Italy. His family owns a detailing company and we became good friends and he helped me out a lot. Unfortunately, he passed away a few years later in a climbing accident. When YouTube came along it gave all of us lots of knowledge. I have also made several trips to both sides of the pond to learn and train. What services do you offer? We just do color correction, coatings, high-end detailing and PPF. We also have training classes and offer 13 different trainings that everybody can join. Training covers everything from how to wash a car to high-end detailing. Is auto detailing a wellrespected industry in Iceland? The word “detailing” was not known in Iceland when I started my business, but now people are starting to understand what we do. We have come a long way but there is even a greater road ahead of us. What is your clientele like? What types of vehicles do you mostly get? The car culture is a little bit different in Iceland than other countries. There are two Ferraris in Iceland, no Lamborghinis, but we do have a Porsche dealership. We probably mostly do American pick-up trucks that have been modified with bigger wheels and SUVs like a Range Rover and Audi Q7. Our clients are basically everybody -- farmers, fishermen, soccer moms, business owners, bankers… etc. Is there a lot of competition in your area? There are a lot of people cleaning cars in Iceland but not too many high-end detailing operations (there are a few trying and not many succeeding). The biggest problem is guys are not getting their education right. Everybody needs to train and practice -- that’s the only way to learn. At our workshop we have a section that is set up as a training center where we train people in color correction. That is my happy place -- I can spend a lot of time there testing pads, compound techniques and whatever else comes to my mind. There is a side effect on working with high-end cars -- You acquire an expertise on these units which is the most important thing. And, it increases the perceived value a customer sees in your service, which means you can charge more. Perceived value, experience and reputation are a detailer´s most important tools to market their services and improve sales, margin and workflow. Mobile detailing on the retail side has not developed yet in Argentina; sometimes we use our small Volkswagen minivan and take care of some customers here and there, but we basically focus on car collectors, high-end paint-shops with classic car projects, and concourse or car shows. I participate in AutoClasica which is our main Antique and Classic Car Contest, and is considered to be the most important event of this kind in South America. And, proudly, we got second place last year with an old 1959 Wartburg. In 2014 I was invited by the official Chevrolet Racing Team to work on their race cars and I ended up establishing a very important relationship with them, and got to know lots of people such as professional drivers, automotive engineers, motorsport journalists, advertising agencies and Chevrolet executives. Good contacts are important in this business; I find that a detailing venture depends on human relations. Being part of the Chevrolet team also allowed me to do some detailing for my community such as Car Museum units. Now I´m into some military unit restoration projects for the Falklands War Veterans, which Is not about money but about giving back to your community. Do you have any employees? Ricardo Martinez: Well we are a very small business. At the carwash we have two employees mainly for the daily wash and wax work. My older son operates the former gas station operation since last year and that has helped me a lot to develop my corporate customer base in Buenos Aires at the armor car operation. I started solo but I will soon increase production with a partner that I work with at the dealerships, and maybe will add two more employees, but my dealership work depends on how the economy recovers from this pandemic. My wife helps with administration, marketing and customer care aspects. What services are offered? On the retail facility we have a very loyal clientele, mostly car wash and interior work is what is most demanded. Our car wash services include continued ... 1957 Chevrolet Belair totally restored by my good friend Dany Coronel, what you see at the back is a Chevrolet Silverado 1981 truck 28 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 5, NO. 3 • FALL 2020
BANDAR ALAMER continued... How and where were you trained? At the start, we got the training from the previous agent. However, later on, we got the training from the main company in America from Mr. Bud Abraham himself, the owner of the company. are considered as one of the biggest names in the market. We are the first company that works in this field in the Middle East. Moreover, we offer quality with appropriate prices. What is your clientele like? in the winter, etc? Heat and sand affect the cleanliness of cars greatly from the inside in addition to the paint of vehicles. We also suffer from people using dish soap in washing their cars, which spoils our work and the materials that we put on their cars. What services do you offer? ✔ Auto Detailing ✔ Window Tinting ✔ Ceramic Coating ✔ Paint Protection We receive in our branches all kinds of regular and luxury vehicles and we have customers of all levels. Is there a lot of competition in your area? How do you advertise your business? We promote through modern social networking websites, such as Snapchat and Instagram, etc. service can be done for the car without leaving it or even moving away from it until completing the work completely. All equipment is designed by Mr. Bud Abraham, the founder of the company. Is auto detailing a well-respected industry in Saudi Arabia? Yes! It is very well-known and has had a lot of investors in recent years. Why do you think you have been successful? Our customers like us because we Yes! The competition has become very massive in recent years. What are some of the biggest issues affecting vehicles in the Middle Eastern climate? For instance, we have pollen here in the Spring, love bugs, salt damage What is your favorite detailing tool and why? We use the company’s Detail Plus materials and equipment. We are the first company to manufacture the necessary equipment to operate an auto polishing center in an integrated manner, according to the factories’ production line method, so that a full What is your life like outside of the detailing industry? I am a B.A. holder. My other projects are only in the field of real estate investment. I have some investments in Saudi Arabia and Dubai. And, I am married and have four sons and daughters. Detailing the iconic Masera6 300 Sport driven by Juan Manuel Fangio Williams Cosworth 1981 Formula One car driven by Carlos Reutemann. I coated this unit with a special SiO2 Coa6ng provided and shipped specially by Gtechniq from the United Kingdom. VOL. 5, NO.3 • FALL 2020 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 29
Page 1 and 2: VOL. 5, NO. 3 FALL 2020 You’ve Tr
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Page 7 and 8: wear. Make sure sockets are free of
Page 10 and 11: NITTY GRITTY Where’s the Money? U
Page 12 and 13: EVENTS CALENDAR 2020-2021 NOV 18, 2
Page 14 and 15: INDUSTRY NEWS SEMA offering eMARKET
Page 16 and 17: INDUSTRY NEWS Federal Government aw
Page 18 and 19: INDUSTRY NEWS STUDY SAYS: This is t
Page 20 and 21: Fiber Logic Everything you need to
Page 22 and 23: Your Pad Specialists HDO PADS - LON
Page 24 and 25: THE BUSINESS OF DETAILING What Type
Page 26 and 27: We’re not in Kansas Anymore Of co
Page 30 and 31: RICARDO MARTINEZ continued... GUÐM
Page 32: THE NEW HIGH-PERFORMANCE STANDARD,

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