David Suico (left) and Philip Luage with some of their works of art.
Two car lovers join hands to run one of Cebu’s top car-customization shops
Philip Luage and David Suico have always been fascinated by cars. And it was through this obsession that the two former college classmates put up a car-modification shop that is slowly becoming one of the most popular in Cebu.
The youthful duo co-own the POD Paintworks and Body Kits, a shop that helps car enthusiasts turn their dream cars into reality.
The two put up the shop in September 2015, three years after they graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in entrepreneurship at the University of San Carlos (USC).
Suico, 25, and Luage, 26, acquired the knowledge in car customization by doing research on the Internet. Whatever they learned from the Internet, they applied it on a friend’s car.
“We designed body kits, side skirts, front chins, rear kits, spoilers and even did washovers (repainting of whole vehicle),” Suico said about how they started.
Several people took notice of their talents when they posted their finished products online.
“We got a lot of inquiries when we uploaded the photo of the customized cars in our social media accounts and that’s when we thought of venturing into car-modification business,” said Luage. “We started in a five-car garage in our house in barangay Tabok (Mandaue City). The progress was fast that we moved to a bigger space in Consolacion town, then we expanded in Ibabao, Mandaue.”
Suico said it needed a lot of guts when they decided to put up the business as, aside from going up against more established car shops, they had a meager capital to start the business.
“We put up P5,000 each. It helped that we had some old equipment like compressor, spray guns to use when we were just starting,” Suico said.
Luage was already running his own carwash shop when Suico convinced him to partner with him and his cousin in setting up the POD. Due to limited space, the two decided to let go of the carwash shop and focus more on their current venture.
Multi-awarded
While they may be considered newbies in the business, their creations are no pushovers. The two have won a number of awards in car shows.
“Best in paint, best in body kits are the awards that we usually win,” said Suico.
Trophies that the two won in various car shows are displayed in the shop.
“By seeing those trophies, our customers would know what we can provide. Those trophies will help us gain their trust,” Suico said.
What makes their shop different from the more noted shops in Cebu?
“We can guarantee that when it comes to giving the best quality service, we can deliver. What we have that other shops don’t have is that we can give the best service at a cheaper price,” said Suico.
A common car-modification in some shops would cost as high as P30,000, but at POD Paintworks, one can have their cars spruced up for as low as P15,000.
“There’s a big difference because we do it in-house. We do the accessories right in our shop while other shops purchase ready-made parts, that’s why they are charging more,” said Suico.
The two said that since they personally design the accessories for car modification, it is always rewarding when customers leave their shop satisfied. “It feels great when the customers’ expectations are met,” Luage said.
Just like in any other business, there are challenges to overcome. POD’s toughest test happened in its first year.
“It involved one of our painters. There were some defects in one of the cars that he handled and the customer complained. We fired the painter but the cars he handled were considered back jobs. We incurred losses worth P100,000 because of that,” said Suico.
The setback didn’t stop Suico and Luage from persevering. The persistence is paying off as another branch is soon to rise in Panagdait, Cebu City.
Suico and Luage are aware that the competition is tight. But the sight of cars crowding one of their shops in Barangay Ibabao in Mandaue City is proof that the two are very well in the thick of things in the car customization business.
“Our dream is for us to continue to grow. We will continue to work hard to ensure that our customers get their money’s worth,” Suico said.
Finding its Mandaue branch isn’t that difficult. It’s actually just at the heart of the city. We’ve made it easier for you.