It’s All In The Details

Josh Rowray doing what he does best: detailing cars. Amanda C. Gregg photos

Tell us about your business. 808 Auto Reconditioning is a mobile car-detailing shop. We have trailers that are self-contained, with water, electricity and all supplies and equipment needed to detail your vehicle. So instead of having to drop off your car then get a ride back and forth to a shop, we come to you. That makes it convenient for our clients who either don’t want someone else driving their car or don’t want to waste their day waiting for their car to get detailed. We’ve done cars while clients were at work, at the beach or even while they played golf.

How did you get started in this business and how long has it been going? I was raised around cars. My father builds custom cars for a living, so I was raised around a body shop. And before an event or auction, it was my job to detail them. So for years I would learn from him. But even after that I went to training seminars that specialized in mobile car detailing. 808 has been in business for more than seven years now.

Where are you from originally, and what role does that play in your business (if any)? I was raised in Oklahoma, but my mom is from Hawaii. So I’ve been coming here since I was little. I always loved it, and when I got married and had kids I wanted to raise them here. I saw that there was a niche for mobile detailing that wasn’t really offered here, so it was a perfect fit.

What is your specialty, and who can benefit from it? We specialize in restoring cars back to their new – or as close as possible – condition. And while I do my share of high-end cars, most of our clients are soccer moms who need all of the Cheerios and Legos cleaned out. We also do quite a bit of cars that are being shipped back to the Mainland, and also cars that are going to be sold by the client. And in this tough economy not everyone can afford a new car, so they want to keep the one they have looking as nice as possible. Also we have services that can fit anyone’s budget, so anyone with a vehicle that needs cleaning can benefit. There are some things that require a deep cleaning – maybe it’s the coffee stain on your front seat, or the scratches on your fender. That’s where I can help by having the correct process, equipment and products to take care of the problem.

What sets your business apart? Being mobile and quality service really set my business apart.

Why do you do what you do? I enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done. It’s nice to see a smile on a client’s face when they see the dramatic improvement to their car. A lot of our clients have tried to do their cars themselves and realized that it needed a professional. It’s nice to provide that service for them.

What motivates you to get up and go to work every day? Enjoying what I do makes it easier to get out of bed. Plus, this is my business. I take pride in that and want to keep it going.

Do you have a business motto or philosophy for doing business? Our motto is “We come to you.” At the end of our radio commercial, you’ll hear my kids say it. That was when they were little and they thought it was cool. Now every time they hear it, they are like “Daaaad, that’s sooo embarrassing.” I love that.

What is the most challenging aspect of your business? When it rains, rescheduling the clients is a problem because when it stops raining, now everyone has a dirty car that needs detailing, so I’m busy. But I do my best to make everyone happy.

What is your business plan for the future? I would like to expand to other islands, but for now I’m happy staying small.

If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing? Whatever it took to provide for my family. But it’s nice to be doing something that I enjoy.

Where can people learn more? Online at 808autoreconditioning.com or Twitter @808auto, Instagram (808auto) or call 647-4069.