Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Cortez.
Carlos, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am known as Llantero.
I started my tire shop career working for my father Rosalio Cortez when I was eight years old is East Los Angeles.
I remember going to my father’s shops, playing with machines, and learning how to operate them. I also watched the employees sell and make deals. After high school, I worked and managed one location for my dad from Summer 2006 to Summer 2014. It took eight years of hard work and sacrifices to open my own tire shop location. When I started the business, it took time to learn how to manage the business and increase the customer segment. I would go to the Pomona Swap Meet every three months to reach a larger crowd and learn how to negotiate and close deals. Also, at the time Craiglist was booming, so I started reselling wheels and tires online. Since Summer 2014 I expanded the business with more services and taking on larger projects like suspension, lift kits, lowering kits, and custom wheels. I have now transitioned to a custom shop for all wheels and tires.
Since I was young, it was always my dream of mine to create and sell custom wheels and tires to both cars and trucks. Growing up, I remember always staring at the custom cars and trucks in the magazines and knew I wanted to do that one day.
When I started my own shop, I began focusing on promoting my work at all the local shows like Pomona Swap Meet and California Truck Invasion/CTI. As the years went by, I focused only on promoting my custom builds without worrying about the impact it had on my personal life. I did not care about the long nights and days working to finish projects. I just kept going and stayed focused. Throughout these years there are more and more shows to attend and I make it happen to be there and promote my builds. I do it with passion and without expecting anything in return. My business is my passion. I am noticing that all the dedication, hard work, late nights, long weekends working on my business is starting to pay off.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not been easy or smooth.
When I was young and working for my father, I did not know how to run a business on my own. I had to put in the hard work and time to learn as an employee for eight years. I am still learning every day. When I became a business owner, it was not easy but the struggle was different from employee to owner. I started building custom wheels and promoting them at so many different car/truck shows. Little by little, the hard work and builds paid off. Soon after, I started to pull in more customers from the state and out of state because of the work quality. The struggles and sacrifices in this business is all worth it because I am passionate about what I do.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I build custom wheels for Cars, Trucks, and UTVS. I specialize in wheels and making them fit perfectly on your vehicle.
I am known as a specialist on custom wheels and will take on any project.
I am most proud of everything I have accomplished so far on my own.
What sets me apart from others is my passion, my ideas, and execution.
What makes you happy?
I am the happiest going to shows to network and show my hard work on custom wheels for cars, trucks, or UTVS.
It makes me happy to be able to build badass wheels and increase my brand based on my work.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Llantero_official
- Youtube: Llantero Official
Image Credits:
Carlos Cortez Iphone
