Cesar and Krista Jimenez own a new business that combines a love of luxury and high-end vehicles with their expertise in making sure they look sharp.
“Even though Sarnia is a car town and the car community is very big, I don’t see many shops that offer the services we do,” says Cesar.
“When I moved here in 2019, I saw a lot of classic cars and exotics and people who want to protect their cars. That’s my business.”
The couple opened The Detailing Pros at the corner of Indian and Exmouth streets in May.
They specialize in applying Paint Protection Film (PPF), as well as manually applied and heat-cured ceramic coatings that protect vehicles from rock chips, scratches and water spot etching.
PPF starts at $800 and can cost as much as $3,000, depending on how much of the car is covered. Ceramic coatings cost $800 to $2,000, depending on the vehicle.
Most customers get both applications done. It’s not necessary, but most do, said Jimenez.
Since opening, the most expensive protection job he’s done cost $5,500 for a new Corvette C8. In just three months in Sarnia, The Detailing Pros have had numerous customers with Corvettes and Mustangs worth $90,000 and more, said Jimenez.
That’s a good start for a new business, he said. And it’s augmented by the regular detailing he offers for $320 - $1,000, depending on the make and detail services requested.
Jimenez, 36, is originally from Mexico City. He moved with his family to St. Louis in 2005 where they ran their own restaurant.
In 2013, Jimenez and his brother opened a detail shop in St. Louis and discovered a demand for ceramic coatings.
“It’s a good business that requires a lot of training and certifications,” he said. “We do very well in St. Louis.” He believes the most expensive job he’s done there was $10,000 for PPF and ceramic protection on a Bentley Continental GT.
Jimenez met his wife Krista when she moved from Sarnia to St. Louis for seven years so that her son, Cohen, could attend the Moog Centre for Deaf Education.
When Krista returned to Sarnia in 2016, Jimenez decided to relocate too and the couple married two years later.
He trained a shop manager to keep his St. Louis business operating and began looking for a location in Sarnia. His highly specialized services require a spotless shop that’s well organized, he said.
“Sarnia is a little behind on this technology. It’s not really new but people don’t know about it yet,” Jimenez said.
“Luckily, I really love to talk about it,” he said. “People have expensive cars and don’t realize they can protect them this way.
“They are really interested when I tell them about the guarantees and how good the protection is.”
The Detailing Pros are located at 910 Exmouth St. Call 519-384-3424 or visit sarniadetailingpros.ca for more.
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