“I have so many key employees I can’t list them all but I wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything without the dedication of everyone that works for me. Quality starts at the top and general manager Steve Saunders, paint manager Willie Granados, and my three team managers John Sepulveda, Cesar Diaz and Craig Drager set the tone. Rusty Martin, my Mercedes-Benz USA trained tech, is responsible for our “high end” repair department, including all aluminum repairs.

“My nephew Jason is our information person. He creates reports that tell me everything I need to know. As controller, he monitors the spending. Jason is the only one among us with a college degree and has brought so much to the table. He encourages us to think out of the box.”

"‘Faith” Quality Auto Body is committed to fielding a well-trained staff. The shop is ASE certified and has I-CAR Gold Class status. It is also a Mercedes-Benz USA certified repair shop which includes aluminum structure repair, General Motors certified, Toyota and Lexus certified and soon to become BMW trained and approved. General manager Saunders sits on the I-CAR Gold Class and Platinum advisory board.

From rock ‘n roll to hammer and dolly
Saunders himself has an interesting history. Before coming to ‘Faith” Quality Auto Body twelve years ago, he spent fifteen years in the music industry playing guitar as a studio musician in Hollywood and Los Angeles.

Needing a day job after leaving the music industry, Saunders worked at Earl Scheib for several years. Once he had perfected his craft by doing whatever needed to be done while learning such as washing, striping, and paint matching. Then with his long haired Saunders answered a classified ad from “Faith” Quality Auto Body. He cut his hair and with some perseverance got a job working for Amaradio as a trainee.  

Saunders is very active in the local Chamber of Commerce and has served as Ambassador of the Year. He works for a non-profit charity that funds scholarships to trade schools.

Industry wise,  he participates in a Sherwin-Williams 20 group, where 20  industry professionals from shops all over the country meet to discuss current issues affecting their shops. In this particular group, Saunders is the only one who has experienced the waterborne transition. However, shops across the nation are seeing the benefits of becoming more environmentally-friendly and planning the make the jump to waterborne before it is mandated, giving their shops a competitive edge.