Today, we’d like to introduce you to James Guzman and Joe Gonzales.
Hi James and Joe, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When my brother Josh and I were just kids, my dad, James Guzman (Founder & CEO, Guzman Automotive), told my mom, Christina, “I’m going to have a business with my boys one day.” He was just a kid back then, maybe 24- or 25-year-old. Side note: Dad and Mom have been together since their early teens, and two of their four children were actually born while they were still teenagers. He always had this dream, I don’t think he knew at the time exactly what he wanted, but he had the end in mind. We come from nothing, but that never stopped my parents. They always taught us to dream and anticipate a brighter future that would only require a little faith in God and a lot of hard work. Fast forward 25+ years, and here we are living Dad’s dream. Collectively, we have 30+ years of automotive repair, maintenance, and remanufacturing experience. Dad owned the Christian Brothers Automotive franchise in Hutto, TX for nearly 12 years.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Short answer? No. As I mentioned, Mom and Dad were teen parents. If I can rewind a little bit more, Dad comes from nothing. He actually picked cotton as a child on the property his CBA franchise sat on. He picked cotton and other crops all along the Highway 79 corridor, so we have some very deep roots in this area. Our current shop is located on Highway 79 in Taylor. So, when I say, “We come from nothing,” this is what I mean. We have certainly been met with challenges along the way, but that is to be expected. If you know anything about the Guzmans, it’s our response to the challenge that counts. Like I said, it just takes a little faith in God and a lot of hard work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Guzman Automotive was birthed out of my dad’s dream and passion for serving. Our tagline, “Service As It Should Be,” isn’t just a cute saying. It’s what we believe. We believe everyone that walks through our shop doors is a blessing to our family and should be treated as such. Dad came up with that tagline while reminiscing about the days when gas stations were called service stations, and the customer barely lifted a finger. Yes, we fix cars, but what we really do is make life easier and solve problems. And just as common as a smile is in Texas, you will always be welcomed with one at Guzman Automotive.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Integrity. If we cannot keep our word, our family name on the door means nothing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.guzmanautomotive.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guzmanautomotivetx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guzmanautomotive
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/guzman-automotive
