IPSWICH, Mass. — Jim’s Auto Installations & Detailing Center celebrated its 30-year anniversary on June 1, according to a press release.
Jim Goguen, owner of the detailing center, opened a shop offering automotive detailing and car audio installation in an empty bay at John’s Citgo in 1986 when he was 20 years old, stated the release.
Now 30 years later, Goguen went from a garage bay to achieving annual sales of more than a quarter-million dollars per year, reported the release, “while strategically traversing the sharp edge of evolving electronic and automotive technology.”
Goguen has been recognized as a two-time winner of the Detailing Person of the Year award in 2013 and 2014, continued the release, and he was an honorary leader of the Detailers of Air Force One team at the Seattle Museum of Art.
And, at the heels of his business’ 30-year anniversary, informed the release, Goguen will now make his television debut at 7:30 p.m. (EST) on Friday, June 3, in Episode 7 of Velocity TV show “Competition Ready.”
Produced by the makers of “Car Crazy Central,” “Overhaulin’” and the “Extreme” series, stated the release, “Competition Ready” offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to get a classic vehicle ready for car show competitions and for sales at classic car auctions.
Goguen will also appear in the season finale of the show with TV hosts Mike Phillips and Adrienne “AJ” Janic, added the release, which is scheduled to air Friday, June 10.
In a past edition of Carwash eNews, the Professional Carwashing & Detailing team featured another detailer, Justin Labato of JL’s Showroom Detailing Inc., who is also featured on the show this season. You can find this coverage here.
Jim’s Auto moved into its current location at 5 Washington Street in 1992, reported the release.
“Automotive detailing wasn’t as sophisticated as it is now,” said Goguen in the release. “You did not have to carry insurance, nor did you have to be certified to clean cars. There were fewer environmental regulations; and without the internet, consumer awareness was low. Detailing was secondary to the electronics.”
According to the press release, by the mid-1990s the marketplace started to sore when auto upgrades such as automotive window tint was discovered to be both aesthetically pleasing and a means for protecting car interiors, and automotive restyling and truck accessories let vehicle owners “alter the outward appearance of their cars and trucks in ways they never had been able to before.”
To keep up with the growing demand, added the release, Jim’s Auto doubled their space in 2001 by adding 700 square feet, which featured a showroom to display stereo systems, truck accessories and floor mats.
And today, noted the release, the company’s showroom also displays navigational equipment, hands-free Bluetooth devices and mobile video.
“New cars today have a sufficient, if not high-end, factory audio system already installed; so ironically, the roles have reversed. Detailing, restyling and electronics are 85 percent of our sales today and car audio only represents maybe 15 percent,” stated Goguen in the release.
You can find the release here.
