by Meg Soyars
A new auto body shop that got its start in Alaska has now moved to Kremmling! Kodiak Preservation Services, run by husband/wife team Sinbad and Alicia Hopkins, is undergoing renovations and will host their grand opening the middle of May.
Their shop offers a variety of services, including body work, painting, air conditioning repairs, and welding. “We believe in technology, quality, and cleanliness,” Sinbad said. Computers are used to match the exact color for vehicles when mixing formulas so there’s no guesswork. “We use Spies Hecker: it’s top-of-the line, environmentally green paint from Europe. We can mix any color under the sun!” Sinbad exclaimed. He added that they don’t quickly “scuff and shoot,” but instead fully strip down to the metal and then paint. They will also be the only shop in Grand County with a paint booth!
The paint booth allows Sinbad to use recycled air to keep the shop clean. Outside air is pulled inside from a huge heater, heated to the proper temperature, then pushed back out the booth once it is filtered. The shop even recycles their own waste through use
of a solvent recycler system.
Plus, Kodiak’s services are not just limited to vehicles!
“We’ve painted everything from semi-trucks, to boats, to doors,” Sinbad said. “If it can fit through the door, we will paint it!”
Sinbad began painting cars at fifteen as a hobby, then worked his way up professionally. When he met Alicia, they joined forces to start their own company. Alicia (originally from Mexico) and Sinbad (originally from North Carolina) began working together in 2003, and have since traveled around the country painting, from as far south as Texas, to as far north as Alaska. Finally, they were drawn to
the mountains of Colorado.
Alicia and Sinbad are excited to work together in Kremmling. Alicia explained that she handles ‘front of house’ and all administrative/financial duties, while Sinbad works in the back. They described how their strengths and weaknesses balance each other. “Everyone has weaknesses. She doesn’t want to learn how to paint; I don’t want to learn how to run the credit card machine!” Sinbad laughed. “But we’re very connected and we never get tired of each other.”
They picked Kremmling for their home base so they could have a cozy shop. “I like how it’s small here,” Sinbad said. “We can walk to work! And the town needs [a body shop].”
He added that he had previously worked at a body shop in Summit County but wasn’t encouraged by the stressors of operating a business there. “Sometimes people cut corners when [operational costs are too high] and we wanted to give people honest work,” he said.
Sinbad explained that their smaller shop allows him to work on vehicles in a timely manner. “We want our customers on
the road as much as possible,” he said. Most importantly, the smaller shop allows Sinbad and Alicia to develop a relationship with the customers. “This is a Christian shop. We put God first, so it’s important to build trust over making money,” Sinbad said. “There are no upselling tactics here. We believe in customer service—pics, phone calls, and communication.”
“We’re here to prosper and provide a couple of jobs [at the shop] for people who need it,” Alicia added. “We want to do good work and have fun doing it!” Sinbad recalled how his former shop had a ‘joke-of-the-day.’
“The customers never saw us in a bad mood!” he laughed.
The new shop at 214 Park Ave may or may not have a joke-of-the-day. But professional, environmentally clean, and reliable service will definitely be there! “We’re up from early morning to late at night getting ready for our opening,” Sinbad said. “But that’s what it calls for to get it done right.”
