LEBANON, Pa.— SB3 Coatings in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, announced in a press release that highly certified automotive detailer Christian Rosa-Garcia, owner of Fashion Exposure & Auto Spa in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has earned an exclusive master trainer certification for the installation of SB3 Ceramic Coatings for the entire island of Puerto Rico.
SB3 Coatings is one the fastest growing automotive ceramic coatings providers on the market, stated the press release.
Rosa-Garcia is currently one of only a couple of SB3 Coatings’ automotive surface specialists in the U.S. territory, and he’s the only one certified as a trainer.
Working closely with SB3 Coating’s Founding Partner and CEO, Barry Theal, Rosa-Garcia will be holding his first group training class in July, but is available for personal, one-on-one training sessions for up to two detailers at a time on an ongoing basis.
The July class will offer multiple levels of exposure to SB3 from live demonstrations by Theal and Rosa-Garcia to hands-on opportunities for participants to use the coating products.
Surface specialist certification training is limited to five people.
A native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, Rosa-Garcia started out in the carwash business which he found unsatisfactory due to its limitations.
“I wanted to do more to get a car or truck cleaner both inside and outside,” Rosa-Garcia said. “A carwash doesn’t get the surface as shiny as I wanted and I was familiar with ceramic coatings which were growing in popularity.”
Rosa-Garcia spent the next seven years training and earning dual certifications from the International Detailing Association (IDA) and from the New Generation of Detailers (NGD), the only training that trains and certifies detailers in the Spanish language.
During that time, Rosa-Garcia had opportunities to work with SONAX master detailer Rigo Santana of the NGD to prepare a rare 1968 Iso Grifo for induction into the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
He has also detailed both a private airplane and a $4 million custom fishing ship, opening future possibilities in those areas of detailing.
“Ceramic coatings like SB3 are semi-permanent, so you have to ‘prep’ the paint surface to remove all the flaws like swirl marks, scratches and uneven paint caused by robotic painters at the manufacturer,” Rosa-Garcia continued. “Otherwise, you are sealing in those flaws when you apply the coating, and that is unacceptable. Once you do that, a vehicle coated with a SB3 coating will look like it just came off the showroom floor, even if it is 10 years or older.”
Theal came and spent four days with Rosa-Garcia in Puerto Rico, learning about the Latino culture to help better understand how SB3 Coatings can help the Latino community grow in the detailing industry.
“Christian is the keystone to building a bridge between the American and Latino cultures,” Theal said. “I realized his Puerto Rican heritage is very proud, but at the same time, they are not afraid to seek help. The language differences create a barrier, but they do not stop us from working together to provide Puerto Rico and the Latino community a new level of service.”
Rosa-Garcia said he tried several ceramic coating products before determining SB3 was the superior choice, but Theal’s commitment to service and support sealed the deal for him.
“Barry saw that I have an interest in continuous training and a need for ongoing support, and he and SB3 were glad to offer it,” Rosa-Garcia said.
Both men agree that within the past five years, the automotive detailing industry in Puerto Rico has grown exponentially, along with that in the United States.
For that reason, Theal and Rosa-Garcia are looking at future opportunities to expand the SB3 line into other Caribbean countries and territories.
