Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Zulaica.
Hi Matt, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Well, I started my own business because at the time it was a single dad and wanted to be able to be with my kids. I wanted to be able to just do the everyday basics for them, taking them to school, picking them up, being there for their games. So, I left my job after 9 years and started Auto Z Repairs out of my home garage to keep my overhead low. After 3 months of having customers in and out of my house I felt I needed something a little more professional for my customers. I was blessed with an opportunity to share a 1 bay garage with another company so I can still keep our overhead low. After the 4th month I was able to save and buy my 1st used lift. Working long hours every day after the first year in that location we needed something bigger, so we moved to a little bigger warehouse so we can add an additional lift, and a full-time employee. We thrived on giving our customers quality work, low-cost repairs and still give them the family friendly customer service. Fast Forward to now we have been in business now for 8 years, Been in our newer location off the access road of IH 35 N for 5 years now. We have 5 Lifts; 6 full time employees my wife and I run the front counter so we can still give our customers that same family-owned hospitality. Even on some days when our boys are out of school for holidays, they are here to greet the customers, they are 6 and 4.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Has it been a smooth road? There were a lot of learning experiences in the business aspect of it all on being compliance with state. If you just have faith and believe, everything will work itself out just believe in the process. Covid was a struggle but a good one, we survived it and got passed it know I feel we can survive any obstacles that come in our way.
There are so many to write but I got through them.
Learning how to take the time to sit back and see what you have achieved and say you did it, is a big obstacle for me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
. What sets us apart? We are a local family-owned business I have never left where I grew up at here in the northeast side of San Antonio. I went to elementary school at St. Thomas More, High School I attended Roosevelt HS and graduated from St. Gerards HS. About the brand the letter Z in Auto Z Repairs stands for our last name, in that it’s all about family. Treating everyone that walks through the door that we are ALL family. Everyone is equal we treat no one different. We love to educate and show our customers exactly what is wrong with their vehicle and how it functions so they can understand what they are paying for.
We are an automotive shop. We service all makes and models from gas, diesel, and now electric and hybrid vehicles. We do complete car care from maintenance, engine and transmission repairs, Brakes, suspension, electrical diagnostics. One Our Biggest contractor is Via Z-Trip. We love supporting this company and seeing the vans and cars we work on transporting our San Antonian’s throughout our community.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy?………. Man, I just love helping people. When I see the smile on a customer’s face after we repair and have their vehicle back on the road in a timely matter.
When we send them an estimate and they are relieved by the price because we gave an honest estimate and they didn’t need everything the bigger chains were quoting.
When a younger person asks me for advice on how to fix something on their vehicle because they want to learn, or even how to start a business and what to expect. These are just a few things that just makes me love what I do, I do it to show customers that there are still honest people out there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Autozrepairs.com
