Young Entrepreneurs Strive to be Jacks of All Trades

It is not unusual to come across college students who wash cars during the summer in order to make a few extra bucks. It is unusual, however, to find entrepreneurs like Julius Berith and Mark Warner who, at just 23 years old, have made a booming business out of the venture.

Julez’s Mobile Auto Detailing, Inc. (JMAD) is a two man operation that offers high-end professional detailing services for cars, boats, RV’s, motorcycles, planes, and more in the greater Manatee County area. If it drives, floats or flies, Berith and Warner will make it sparkle inside and out.

In fact, JMAD’s services extend beyond vehicular detail work. The pair also specializes in both residential and commercial window cleaning, landscaping, concierge services, IT services and auto mechanics – and the pair is constantly looking to expand their range of services.

“The idea is to build up a business in town that specializes in the variety of services that people require to get through their everyday lives,” Berith said. “If someone needs a helping hand with something, we want to be the guys who can do it.”

Berith and Warner both work between 30 and 40 hours per week at Starbucks and are full-time students at the USF and SCF, respectively. On the weekends, they devote between 30 and 35 hours to doing detail work, and on Mondays and Fridays they clean windows at the Prime Outlets mall in Ellenton.

According to Berith, a typical work day begins at 6:00 a.m. or earlier and normally ends around midnight. Although their schedules are demanding, Berith and Warner remain goal-oriented because of their mutual commitment to their education.

“The reason we’re doing this is to get through school,” said Berith, who is entering his final semester as a finance major at USF. His ultimate goal is to become a certified financial advisor.

“What we make, we save and use to pay for college. If it weren’t for detailing, I wouldn’t be able to afford to get through school. I’ve learned that no one is ever going to give you anything. If you want something, you have to figure out a way to get it for yourself.”

Berith was born and raised in Slovakia. In 2002, he moved to Bradenton, where he attended Bayshore High School. In 2003, he met Warner, a Manatee High School student, while standing in line at Taco Bell. The pair bonded over a shared hobby – skateboarding.

While skateboarding drew the pair together, they share an even greater passion for cars.

In 2009, a Starbucks customer took note of Berith’s impeccably maintained 1996 Lexus ES-300 and asked Berith if he would be interested in detailing his car for him.

When Berith completed the job, his first customer raved about it to his friends. Berith’s reputation spread rapidly by word of mouth and in just one month, he had 20 vehicles to detail.

“Starbucks has been a great way to meet and befriend all kinds of nice people from the area,” Berith said. “I’ve built friendships with a lot of great people who have been great for networking.”

“I know a handful of people in almost every industry in town,” he added.

In 2010, Berith registered JMAD as a corporation and attained the general liability coverage that would allow him to do commercial work as well as residential. He also began training his longtime friend, Warner on the ins and outs of the job.

“We’re best friends and we make a really great team,” said Berith, who is 6’5” and towers over his business partner.

“He takes care of all the low stuff and I take care of the high stuff,” he joked.

Berith said that Warner, who is currently studying computer science at SCF and plans to transfer to USF, has brought valuable technological knowledge that has helped them expand the business through social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Warner’s combined background in computer diagnostics and auto mechanics has also allowed JMAD to expand its range of services into those areas.

In just one year, the pair has detailed more than 100 cars and they currently have approximately 50 regular customers who request their detailing services on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis.

“While I was detailing a car, one of my customers referred to my work as ‘a jewel,’” Berith said. “The nickname kind of stuck, and that’s how I decided to name the corporation.”

Each vehicle detailed by JMAD receives a thorough treatment. Each session, which takes an average of 6 hours to complete, includes both interior and exterior cleaning as well as detailing of the engine bay.  On the interior, Berith and Warner detail all upholstery and recondition the leather. On the exterior, they use a clay bar and compound to polish, buff, and shine before finishing with a wax.

JMAD caters to the customer’s convenience. They are happy to travel to the vehicle’s location and detail it on site or pick it up and return it once completed. JMAD even does overnight detailing jobs.

“The reason we specialize in cars is because we love them,” said Berith who, along with Warner, races autocross on the rare weekend that he finds spare time. “I honestly enjoy doing this more than anything else.”

When they aren’t working or attending school, Berith and Warner  volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and participate in walkathons to support causes such as finding a cure for Diabetes.

“We’re both just trying to do everything we can to enjoy our 20’s while we still have them,” Berith said.

“It’s pretty cool to have that limited responsibility that comes with being 23 years old. The truth is, we’re just two guys who weren’t getting enough hours at work. Cars are our passion and we ended up being lucky enough to make a business out of our hobby.”