Increased car ownership and the demand to upgrade rides compelled Eric Muthamia to establish an enterprise to help car owners transform both their vehicle exteriors and interiors.
In Chuka Tharaka, Nithi County, Moto Rangi garage, seems to have perfected the art of pimping cars and is now popular in the region.
And just how did Eric Muthamia the proprietor get into this profitable venture?
“Immediately after college, I realised that there was a segment of people who preferred to pay a premium to have their vehicles done in the comfort of their homes. I started with a mobile workshop which was my small car and I could move from one home to another, set up a tent, finish the repairs in a day or two and head to my next customer’s home. This gave birth to a company Dial A Mech which I registered in 2010,” he says.
With time, he realised that he needed ample space where he could keep some of the vehicles that required extensive repairs or those that had broken down.
Besides, the quality of vehicle fabrication services offered were not standard hence a big gap in the quality of repair and fabrication.
Mr Muthamia took this as an opportunity. He secured space in Ruaka, Kiambu, but this came with some challenges as the percentages that he was spending on rent vis-à-vis the income didn’t make business sense.
“I was spending almost 70 percent of my income on the lease. If I had to grow, I either had to get some cheaper space elsewhere or find my own space,” he says.
He intended to grow and expand the business to be a powerhouse to reckon with when it came to the fabrication of vehicles.
But this would require space. The possibility of getting huge space accessible to vehicles, at affordable rates in Nairobi was an enormous challenge.
“In areas where land was available, the lessor would demand that no permanent structures should be erected,” he says.
Considering that the country had just embraced devolution, Muthamia opted to take a chance and relocate to Chuka town after conducting due diligence.
“There was a big gap when it came to accessing good quality vehicle fabrication in the Tharaka Nithi region and its environs. Many people preferred taking their vehicles to other regions for vehicle body works,” Mr Muthamia explains how he capitalised on the opportunity.
His very first customer walked into the shop in 2020, and the rest that followed were referrals. To date, the bulk of his clients are referrals.
In actualising the venture Mr Muthamia says he invested approximately Sh5.2 million, excluding land to set up the investment.
For one to have a car fabricated in the garage, a physical inspection is recommended, and in the case of insurance, an appointed assessor assesses the damage and issues a report upon which the repair costs are based. A repair authority is then issued by the insurance company.
“For most institutions, a Local Service Order (LSO) is issued upon presentation of a successful bid/quotation. Once the cost has been agreed on, the process of booking follows. A catalogue of all items in the vehicle including items that will be left in the possession of the garage is filled. A job card is then opened, detailing all the work to be done on the vehicle after which it’s driven from the parking lot into the workshop,” he says.
The repairs depend on the extent of the work required and quite often a makeover is done. In doing so the vehicle is stripped off the main compartments like headlamps, locks, door rubbers, weather strips etc.
What follows is paint removal and sanding, panel beating-removal of dents and filling, application of primer coats and undercoat paint, finishing-application of the top coat, clear coat and buffing, cleaning-interior, engine, body and under wash.
Once all is settled, the client is called to collect the vehicle during which the client is taken through the booking form and job card to ascertain that the work was done as required.
For insurance cases, an insurance-appointed assessor carries out the re-inspection of the vehicle to confirm that the work is done as per the repair authority.
“The vehicle is then released to the client as soon as we have a release letter from the insurance,” he explains.
At the premise, the security of the vehicles is guaranteed, as besides a detailed booking of all vehicles, the garage is insured against aspects such as fire, physical damage or theft and the premise is under a 24hr CCTV surveillance.
In determining the charges the condition of the vehicle is key, whether it is an accident vehicle or an accident free. Accident vehicles are generally more expensive to repair as opposed to basic fabrication and paintwork jobs.
The size of the vehicle and material required for paintwork, vary depending on the surface area of the vehicle or part to be painted.
The paint type also matters as paint types are different, say: basecoats, pearl, ordinary paint, photochromic paints and coatings, and all differ in costs.
The extent of work to be done also matters, from the interior upholstery, additional fittings and modification. The garage has 17 workers.
His marketing is through referrals, and he has clients from Nakuru, Nanyuki, Maua, Nairobi and the surrounding.
His main challenges are the cash flow as the overhead and operational costs are quite high. The availability of spare parts within the county is still a challenge and most parts are sourced from Nairobi. Skilled labour isn’t easy to come by.
Convincing clients why one needs to invest in good quality paint is also a challenge as many were used to cheaper variants commonly known as “chemsha” where they end up noticing scratches and swirl marks on their cars.
To those who are willing to start Muthamia says, “Start something you love, emotionally connect to it and own it. No one will ever understand a business you envision better than yourself so believe in yourself,” he advises.
