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Date: 6/2/2022
EAST LONGMEADOW – Sometimes, to be successful, all you need is a passion and a van.
Christian Perez, owner of Perez Customs, fabricates automotive parts, but he specializes in hydraulic coil repair.
“Every escalator, every large machine, has hydraulics,” Perez explained. “When something breaks at 3 in the morning, I come out and fix it.”
Perez has 18 years of experience working with hydraulics, beginning during his time at Roger L Putnam Vocational Technical Academy in Springfield. Perez spent time as a special operations technician for the Springfield Fire Department, where he would rebuild engines, fabricate parts and repair the hydraulics on fire trucks. All while working for himself on the side.
One customer suggested Perez take his business mobile. It was a fairly novel idea. Perez said no one else in the area is offering on-site hydraulic repair. “I found that niche that no one else is doing,” he said.
Perez decided to base his mobile business in East Longmeadow. “There’s a lot of construction businesses here,” he said, creating a large pool of customers. After three months in business, Perez Customs is the hydraulic vendor for 12 area companies. Many of his customers hear about Perez through word-of-mouth.
One reason Perez thinks he has been so successful is that many people in the industry are older and have been retiring. At 36, he said, he does not know of many hydraulic repair technicians his age.
Right now, Perez Customs is a one-man operation, but Perez said he has almost outgrown his East Longmeadow space. Before long, Perez may find himself expanding.
Perez Customs can be found at https://www.facebook.com/perezcwf, and can be contacted at perezfox@gmail.com or 218-6229.