How did Cal-Tex start and what helped drive its success?
Cal-Tex began as the collaboration of two friends who met while serving in the Navy. Ronald Rago operated a business that sold undercoating products to dealers in California, and Gary Osborn had a similar business in Texas. They incorporated Cal-Tex in 1983, and combined their existing companies. Ron retired from Cal-Tex in 2006. Gary still actively participates in its day-to-day operations.
Cal-Tex acquired several chemical formulas in the 1980s which became the basis for additional exterior and interior sealant/protectant products. Further growth occurred in the early and mid-1990s with the acquisition of other chemical suppliers. Through the years, Cal-Tex has grown from servicing a handful of dealers with one product to supporting thousands of dealers nationwide with over 40 products.
When Ron Rago retired, Cal-Tex became an Employee Owned company (ESOP). In 2011 Cal-Tex was named as one of the “Best Places to Work” by the San Antonio Business Journal, one of the top 50 privately held companies in the San Antonio area, received the “ACE” award by the National ESOP association, was named for the second time winners of the “Innovations Award” by the NCEO (National Center for Employee Ownership) , as well as voted one of the top 50 small companies in the America by INC. Magazine. The advent of “employee ownership” has driven the company to new heights of cultural performance with a 44% increase in revenue over the last 2 years. Today Cal-Tex is 97% employee owned.
Tell us about the products that you offer and how they work.
Cal-Tex has several product choices with varied warranty coverages.
Our new product line, EnviroGuard NG™ family of products incorporates cutting-edge nanotechnology, leading the industry with superior product performance and unparalleled warranty benefits. www.ctpc.com
Exterior Paint Protection
All painted surfaces on your vehicle are covered for up to seven years against acid rain, oxidation, loss of gloss, bug damage, environmental fallout, paint overspray, water spots, methylene chloride, including painted bumpers, side view mirrors, original factory installed spoilers and painted body side moldings.
Expanded coverage for this product includes headlight lens dulling or fading, brake dust on chrome and aluminum alloy wheels and water spotting on chrome.
Interior Surface Protection (Fabric, Leather/Vinyl)
Our NG Fabric protection is our first ever water-based interior protection. The interior fabric, leather and vinyl surfaces are covered against permanent staining from lipstick, water or oil based products, vomit and urine. In addition, original factory floor mats and trunk carpet in the vehicle are covered from all permanent stains for up to seven years.
In addition, this product meets the most stringent VOC (volatile organic compounds) guidelines in the U.S.
Expanded coverage includes saddle leather and pigmented plastics (door panel and consoles)
Additional benefits available for this product family are: rental car reimbursement up to $50.00 per day; any vehicle under 48 months old is considered to be a new vehicle; renewable for life; no transfer fees for active U.S. Military; available 1 thru seven year terms; lease & smart buy terms.
Rust Inhibitors
Protecting against the effects of moisture, salt and humidity preventing against rust and corrosion from the inside out for use on inner-body panels. The benefits of this product extend beyond the auto manufacturer's warranty.
Undercoating & Noise Inhibitors
This product for use on the exterior underbody effectively deadens road noise insulating against heat, cold and dust.
Windshield Protection
The ResistAll® Windshield Protection product is uniquely formulated to protect automotive windshield glass from damage due to rock chips and flying debris. The product incorporates the latest in nanotechnology creating a “Hydrophobic” effect between the foreign object and the glass. ResistAll® windshield product fills the pores and pits of the glass for ultimate protection to your costly windshield. This product comes with a fully insured warranty for up to five years, which is renewable for life, protecting the most vulnerable area of your vehicle against rock chips and cracks up to six inches.
Detail/Make Ready
Cal-Tex can provide the dealership’s Detail Department an extensive line of high quality, environmentally compliant make-ready chemicals and the necessary hardware items that (depending on the selected program), are made available with no up-front inventory charge to the Dealership.
How does your product offering differ from other appearance protection providers?
As Cal-Tex moves to excel in the automotive aftermarket industry, we continually strive to exceed our customer expectations to differentiate ourselves from our competitors. Our ownership culture ensures that every Cal-Tex employee owner works to provide a “Total Customer Experience.” Here are just a few of the benefits of partnering with Cal-Tex:
We manufacture and provide superior quality exterior and interior surface protection products (Nano Technology)
We offer effective window etch and body labeling theft deterrent products, backed by strong warranty protection
Our products are supplied with no up-front cost to the Dealership and are only paid for after the time of consumer purchase
All products are backed by top rated insurance carriers
Our in-house marketing and design departments customize specific point of sales materials.
We provide printed and video presentations to assist the F&I department with better product awareness
The Partners in Profit® program is designed to offer incentives to dealership employees for each sale of Cal-Tex products they produce.
Who are your target markets, how do you deliver your products to them and what message would you like to give them?
Cal-Tex makes available products and programs that fit any and all automotive dealerships throughout the United States. We have more than 90 employee owners nationwide, each one dedicated to the success of the dealership, sales representatives, and consumers.
Looking back over the past five years, how has the appearance protection industry changed and how do you see it changing in the future?
Products such as appearance protection programs have re-emerged in the past few years to be a key product in a dealership, generating significant financial income. Cal-Tex introduced a new product line, EnviroGuard NG™ (The Next Generation) in 2010. This new product line was specifically designed to meet new requirements for water-based automotive protectants as well as setting a new standard for effectiveness and friendly application. This line has been accepted enthusiastically by the marketplace, and along with the ResistAll®, ShadowMark®, and ATP® product lines, it positions Cal-Tex for continued success as the premier provider of automotive protection products in the automotive aftermarket industry.
What technology or services do you believe will drive your future success?
Cal-Tex and its employee owners pride themselves in providing our customers with superior products and exceptional service. Our Cal-Tex Sales Team is dedicated to support our customers from coast to coast. We have incorporated new technology into the selling process through providing QR Bar Codes on our point of sale materials which take the customer directly to our customer video on “You Tube”. Cal-Tex has developed and delivered sales presentations on the iPad that eliminate the need for paper presentations and ease of access to Cal-Tex sales material. Our warranty service representatives are here to service all consumer claims. Through processing the claim, our goal is to create a “Total Customer Service Experience” that exceeds the industry standard. Embracing new technology within our manufacturing, warranty services, and marketing helps leverage our services and programs provided to our customers to exceed industry standards.
