Check Out Paul Babajany’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Babajany

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

The founding partners of Forma Motorsport are I, Paul Babajany, and David Ter-Petrosyan. We are actually all long-time high school friends that attended Verdugo Hills High School located in Tujunga, CA, where we grew up. I was class of 2015 and David was class of 2014. David & I were best friends since the high school era and still are—not only best friends but also business partners in Forma Motorsport.

Fast forward from 2015 to 2023, David & I were running a freight logistics brokerage called “USA Freight Group.” We were very successful independent freight brokers for 5 years. Over time, we realized how badly the freight industry was plummeting, and by the time we had just completed a major project for the company, the market literally crashed and we couldn’t work with any of our long-term customers and contacts. Long story short, we ended up selling USA Freight Group, getting out of the industry completely with no future plans, leaving us hopeless—especially for two guys that dropped out of college and barely finished high school. It was the true definition of a quarter-life crisis.

Luckily, we had saved a good amount of money to still be able to invest and hold our heads above water. As time went on, David decided to start brokering & leasing cars. I was honestly just trying to figure out what to do, who to talk to, and where to invest my money. The last thing I wanted to do was go back to a 9-5. I decided to do my first house flip and partner up with my dad since he is a general contractor. We found a property in Tujunga—it was the perfect flip. We went into escrow only to later find out that the property was on a septic tank, which is a big problem for flipping properties or building additional units. After I pulled out of escrow, I was back to square one. I lost money on the escrow, I lost time, and I felt like I was running out of time.

I would always meet up with David to discuss our next move and what business to get into. Time after time, we planned and agreed that whatever business we started had to be recession-proof so we wouldn’t experience the same crash as before. We considered laundromats, barbershops, nail salons—you name it. We finally decided to open a body shop. While David and I initially planned to focus on collision repairs and insurance work, we decided to expand into performance upgrades, custom wheels, bespoke modifications, wraps, PPF, and integrate our auto leasing brokerage, “FMS Auto Group.” This transformed our concept into a far more comprehensive and high-end operation than we had originally planned.

It took us about a year just to find the right place because all the spots we checked didn’t match our vision. Then we came across our location at 14600 Titus St. When we first saw it, it was literally a dump. We built Forma Motorsport from the ground up. It took 9 months of construction alone and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Eventually, we got through it, and we did our grand opening on January 19, 2025. We’ve been open since, work has been coming in, and we’ve even worked with a couple of celebrities like Lala Kent and Freddie Gibbs, with more in the works we can’t mention yet. This is our story—I hope this summarizes it all for you.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Not at all—it definitely wasn’t smooth. We made so many mistakes along the way, but that’s what taught us and helped us grow. As long as nobody lost their temper or let things get out of line when mistakes happened, we knew we’d eventually reach the finish line. Most importantly, we never had any doubt during the journey. We actually had a couple of other partners we were going to work with but cut them out due to having doubts about them. We kept negativity out of the project and stayed positive.

Obstacles and challenges included pulling permits, getting certificates—especially for the spray booth—and dealing with unexpected daily expenses. Most importantly, we had to carefully manage the bankroll for our project.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

Paul – I’m in charge of managing profit, losses, expenses, inventory, operations, and accounting at Forma Motorsport. This involves overseeing the financial health and efficiency of the business. The role requires strategic budgeting, cost control, and revenue optimization while maintaining seamless operations. Responsibilities include tracking expenses, managing inventory, streamlining workflows, and ensuring financial accuracy to drive profitability. Strong organization and leadership are key to maintaining a well-structured, high-performing automotive business.

David – I’m in charge of managing the auto leasing department at Forma Motorsport. This involves overseeing the entire leasing process, from client consultations to contract finalization. Responsibilities include maintaining a premium fleet, ensuring competitive pricing, and providing exceptional customer service. The role also requires coordinating with finance, sales, and service teams to streamline operations and enhance the leasing experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://formamotorsport.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forma_motorsport/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FormaMotorsportLA?mibextid=wwXIfr
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-babajany-04a793181/details/experience/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FormaMotorsport
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/forma-motorsport-panorama-city