No one knows the value of hard work and dedication better than Benjamin Mendoza. In 1973 he immigrated to the United States from Colima Mexico. After seven years with the same company, Mendoza went to work for a used car dealer in Santa Ana, Calif., and then became a wholesale car dealer himself, buying cars at auctions and then turning around and selling them for a profit. While making a name for himself in the business world, he also managed to learn English and start a family.
Eventually he found his way to Doffo Body and Paint, where he learned the ropes of the collision repair business. He stayed there long enough to work his way up to shop foreman and then general manager before deciding to strike out on his own.
Name: Kelly’s Body Shop
Location: Santa Ana, Calif.
Volume: 140/month
Years in business: 11
Revenue: $3.7 million
Average repair cost: $2,500
Employees: 30
“I really never thought I would have my own business, but I got bored when I worked before for other people,” Mendoza says. “I bought the business in 1993 and gave six months’ notice—I really loved that job. I worked so many years with [the owner of Doffo Body], and finally in June 1994 I started working for myself.”
Mendoza says Kelly’s Body Shop was “an established little hole-in-the-wall” when he acquired the collision repair shop just more than 10 years ago. “I bought it almost for free,” he recalls. “I think I paid $5,000 for the business.”
Today, the Santa Ana, Calif., shop enjoys revenues of more than $3.5 million per year and has been certified as a best-in-class collision repair business by the Assured Performance Collision Care organization. But Mendoza didn’t start with grand plans—he started small and built the business gradually, expanding his customer base and developing relationships with insurance companies.
In 1995 he purchased an adjacent lot to expand the original, 2,000-sq.-ft. shop to more than 10,000 sq. ft. Then he acquired another 8,500-sq.-ft. lot. “The business forced me to expand little by little,” he says. “Fortunately for me, the business produced money for me to invest, and I turned around and put the money back in the business.”
The next step, in 1997, was acquiring a 22,000-sq.-ft. lot just north of the current location. But that’s when Mendoza realized he needed to expand his parking lot. The best solution seemed to be building a new one on part of the new lot. “I was fighting with the city for three years to let me build the parking lot,” he recalls. Eventually, Mendoza got his parking lot. “Now I love the city,” he says.
Kelly’s Body Shop employs 30 people, including body techs, office staff and three people in a new mechanical department. Three of the employees have been with Mendoza since the beginning, but a few years ago he was having trouble keeping a few positions filled. “I had a couple of positions with lots of turnaround, so I sat down with a CPA to figure out how I could fix the problem,” he said. “So I came up with a profit-sharing program in 1999. I figured, why give to the IRS when I can give to my employees?”
Mendoza believes that investing in his employees and in new technology are as important as his investments in his business. “All employees working in the body department are certified in aluminum welding—and metal, too,” he says. “I want to make sure if something happens, that the company that certified my workers is responsible.” He also invests in the latest technology, from computerized frame machines to computerized mixing machines in the paint department. “I believe if you want to be successful, you have to have the new technology,” he explains. “If you want to open a business with the old technology, you won’t be successful.”
Mendoza’s business philosophy is simple: he believes in hard work, honesty and persistence. “I’m a hard worker when I’m making a name for myself. And I have a couple of rules. Rule number one is customer service and quality,” he says. “Nothing can be separated. If you do one good and one bad, it’s not going to work. You have to be honest with the customers and honest with the vendors as well.”
Clearly Mendoza’s hard work has paid off. In July 2005, the California Small Business Association named Benjamin Mendoza the Business Person of the Year for the 69th Assembly District. Mendoza recalls, “In April I received a call directly from the state assemblyman. He personally called me from Sacramento and said, ‘If you don’t want it, tell me no.’ So I said, ‘Yes, thank you very much.’ You can’t win something like that every day, so I really enjoyed it.”
Assemblyman Tom Umberg of the 69th Assembly District presented Mendoza with his award at a ceremony before the California State Assembly on June 15. The award recognized Mendoza’s outstanding business services as well as contributions to the community. Mendoza is active in providing leadership and philanthropy to Mater Dei High School, South West Little League, Saddleback Community High School and other local organizations.
Mendoza is also involved with several collision repair industry organizations, including the California Autobody Association, the Assured Performance Network, the Automotive Service Association, I-CAR and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists. In 1999 he helped found the South Santa Ana Merchants Association, for which he served as vice president for three years and has twice been honored as businessman of the year. And in 2003, the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce honored him with the Bronze Champion Award.
“I like to be active personally, and if I can help with money, too, I do it,” Mendoza says. “If you are successful, you have to share that with the community.”
