The History of Martin Auto Color

Martin Auto Color – History

Glenn Martin

Martin Auto Color began as a modest startup, led by a handful of dedicated and talented individuals who envisioned becoming the most trusted auto body shop products supplier on the West Coast. What began with only two stores in 1989, has since expanded into 26 distribution locations serving Northern and Southern California, and Western Nevada.

Martin Auto Color’s President Glenn Martin broke into the industry in 1971 as an energetic and optimistic nineteen-year-old, driving a delivery truck for a family-owned auto parts and paint supply store. He quickly learned all facets of the business and the auto parts supply industry and just nine years later he purchased the store chain from his employer and set out on his own. With tireless dedication, in just seven years, Glenn expanded the business into 26 locations. But as the expansion took shape, his knowledge of the industry and his personal and business goals matured and shifted directions.

Glenn decided to concentrate his energies on a more personal customer service level and sold the business and started fresh. Partnering with a core group of respected industry colleagues—Daryl Fielder, Lisa LaMacchia, Rich Mathiesen, Fred Gebert, among others—Martin Auto Color’s new mission was to provide customers not only with quality products and supplies, but also product application training and operational business services to help their customers increase profits and streamline operations.

To help achieve these goals, Martin Auto Color partnered with PPG Industries and became a PPGPlatinum Distributor. With PPG’s quality products and support, Glenn and his partners were able to fulfill their vision of providing first-rate personal customer service while also growing their operation from a staff of six in 1997 into a multi-million-dollar PPG Platinum Distributor operation with 120 associates (and growing)—the largest California PPG distributor based in the state.  The expansion to the east transformed Martin Auto Color to a multi-state firm, as a Nevada PPG Distributor.

But even with the company’s astounding growth and success, Glenn, his colleagues, and team, continue to work as a tightly knit organization, putting personal customer service above all else.

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