Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 8, 1 August 1995 — Loan fund recipient sells service with a smile [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Loan fund recipient sells service with a smile

by Patrick Johnston Native Hawaiian Loan Fund recipient Sonny Sonoda doesn't need a fancy store front and glossy advertising to sell his business. For 30 years this Honolulu-based car body repairman says he has been

building his client base with a sales-winning combination of friendly charm and hard work.

Sonoda Body and Fender is an unassuming car repair shop located

on a back street near the far end of Sand Island Access road in Honolulu. Its store front sign looks more like graffiti than the entrance to a successful body

shop, and the structure that functions as his office and garage Sonoda admits he built with his staff in only a few weeks. But things are not what they seem. On

the company site, cars in various stages of disrepair are everywhere. A handful of repairmen work on an assortment of auto jobs - from paini touchups to fender repair - and there is no shortage of work to go around. "We do everything," says Sonoda, "from Porsches to bicycles." Sonoda Body and Fender also does construction vehicles and special

paint jobs, including a recent job that involved painting camouflage colors on a jeep. How does Sonoda, so far from a main

road and with no advertising, get any business? "By word of mouth," he says. Sonoda has had plenty of time to get the word around. He started his first car body repair shop 30 years ago in Kaimukī. In 1978 he moved to Sand Island and began focusing on commereial contracts - car leasing companies, movers, operations with large fleets of vehicles that need regular body work.

Last year he applied for a loan from OHA's Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan fund, money whieh he used to upgrade and buy equipment. He works closely with his daughter Dayna, who does most of the bookkeeping, public relations, and office-related duties. His shop is open virtually every day of the year, an important eonsideration for companies that need work done on holidays and weekends so their fleets are available — for regular work days. Sonoda unabashedly credits most of his success to his friendly demeanor and work ethic. "You don't need money to be successful," he says, "just personality and hard work. If people trust you, they will keep on coming back." His reputation has been enough

to land him some interesting contracts, including work on some of the cars used in the second "Karate Kid" movie filmed 10 years ago.

Sonoda is so confident in his ability to win and keep customers that he doesn't worry about competition. "If you have the personality (and service) your customers will always love you." Sonoda Body and Fender ean be reached at 847-0334 . For more information about OHA's Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan fund eall 594-1888.

"We do everything, from Porsches to bicycles." - Sonny Sonoda

Sonny Sonoda shows off a recently painted truck inside his company garage. Photos by Patrick Johnston

Sign advertising Sonoda Body and Fender outside its Sand lsland office.