Veteran-owned automotive detail shop opens in Rio Rancho

RIO RANCHO — When a car gets dirty, the owner usually takes it to the car wash or hoses it down in the yard while the kids have fun with the sponges. Sometimes, that just isn’t enough to get the car feeling as clean as new, though.

Jaziree and Jose Gutierrez, husband and wife owners of 2 Brothers Auto Detail and Upfitting, held a grand opening April 2 for a place to deal with that extra grime that a car wash just can’t reach.

“2 Brothers pretty much started out as just an idea. We’re both entrepreneurs,” Jaziree, president of the company, said.

She explained that while she was doing aesthetic work, Jose, who serves as vice president, would need something to do and started cleaning vehicles.

“He needed something to do and he loves vehicles. He likes cleaning them and taking care of them, so he was, like, ‘Hey, why don’t I just start doing it on the side and just kind of do it for fun and see what happens?’” she said.

Jose’s younger brother started helping with the detail business, and that’s where the name 2 Brothers came from.

As they began their operation, they gained more interest from the community, especially the law enforcement and military communities. Both Gutierrezes have served in the military, and Jose is former law enforcement, so many of their peers were interested in their detailing and upfitting services.

Detailing a vehicle involves removing parts of the interior and exterior to get to trapped dirt or other messes that don’t get addressed by simply vacuuming the carpets. The day of the grand opening, the Gutierrezes had two vehicles being serviced where the seats, carpeting and other parts had been removed for cleaning.

Upfitting, or customizing, allows vehicle owners to add accessories to their vehicles. For law enforcement, this includes emergency lights and interior equipment such as internet, a printer and more.

“You would be amazed on how much details go into a police car and how much wires are actually in there. Average is about 500 feet worth of electrical wire that’s inside a car, but you’ve got to think about it — that’s their office,” Jose said.

Jaziree chimed in, saying law enforcement needs a company they can trust to do that kind of work on their vehicle. Jose explained that if one thing is out of place, it could cost the driver their job or even their life — knowledge from his own experience in the law enforcement field.

Besides upfitting, 2 Brothers also decommissions emergency vehicles so they can be auctioned off. The two vehicles in the shop had also been stripped of some of the wiring that connected to police appliances and machines, which is part of the decommissioning process.

Jaziree stated that they have built relationships with local police departments, including Rio Rancho’s. When they established in a building near the Rio Rancho’s CTE building, those groups stayed loyal.

“I actually started doing a little bit of the detail when I was a police officer myself. Our department at the time was very small. I think maybe, if we were lucky, had like 15 sheriff’s deputies, so it wasn’t very big and our budget was really small. So that interest really started there, and I started cleaning our fleet,” Jose explained. “Then I started getting into our lighting and stuff, because when you have a small department, it’s not like the other agencies where you could just say, ‘Hey, go to the shop, get it done.’”

That, he said, is why Rio Rancho was a good spot for their business.

“Rio Rancho was not a very big community. We’re very small, but there’s no one here that can offer that same service to our local guys. It’s unfortunate they have to go into the city of Albuquerque and be able to get those services; they’re so busy because they’re serving the state as well. So Rio Rancho’s getting put on the back burner, Bernalillo PD, Santa Ana. All these agencies that need this equipment, they’re having to wait two, three, four months to get stuff done,” Jose said.

He said they tried to find a location as close to the police department as possible. Their location sits about five minutes away on NM 528 from the Rio Rancho Police Department, which is on Quantum Road near Northern Boulevard.

“We’re close to the police officers in general, but to be close to our community and being close to them was kind of our ideal,” he added.

Jaziree took a lot of time to research where they might be able to settle, including talking to realtors. Finally, they met with the CrossFit Thunderhawks and found their location.

Their services do not just go to law enforcement agencies, however. Though that is where their “heart is,” according to the Gutierrezes, they are open to the entire community.

When it comes to their customers, according to Jaziree, both law enforcement and civilian alike, they like to have them inspect the vehicle to make sure the job was done to their preferences or specifications. While most of the labor work is done by Jose and the crew, Jaziree helps by taking photos of progress on a vehicle to show the customer what was done. Jose admitted that he is a perfectionist and if the work isn’t done to his liking he starts over.

“I think that’s why a lot of returning customers come back,” she said.

2 Brothers also offers glass services and decal services. For more information visit 2brothersautodetailing.square.site.