At the recent Council Meeting on April 18, Council Member Dr. G (Dr. Luis S. González) presented the “Business Focus” Recognition Award to Mr. Jose Guzman, owner of J & F Auto Repair. This long-standing repair shop is located at 375 West F Street and has been operating as a sole proprietorship for 22 years.
This well-known establishment is the final leg of a long career in auto mechanics. Born and raised in Huntington Beach, Jose became a mechanic with the Goodyear Company. When his efforts to purchase a home there failed due to discrimination, Jose decided to move to Riverside, and not only managed to acquire another job at Goodyear but was able to purchase his own home.
In 2000, Jose purchased the current property on West F Street, which included the shop, abutting house, and storage. He called his new business J & F Auto Repair, named after himself (J), and after his son, Fernando. Since that time he has serviced hundreds of satisfied Colton customers. His assistant, Gaylen Hernandez, comes in from time to time to help on larger repair jobs, and between the two, have developed a reputation of being able to fix just about any car problem one might have.
We are so fortunate to have such a master mechanic in our community who enjoys working here and serving the people. Jose is looking to retire soon but until then, everyone is always welcome to stop by to say hi, or have some work done on your car. He’ll give you a fair estimate of the cost and a good estimate of the time it might take to complete the job. His prices are reasonable and he works on the job until it’s finished.
Mr. Jose Guzman is to be congratulated not only for his successful business in Colton but for his long and successful career as an auto mechanic. He has survived the pandemic and has made meaningful efforts in providing input to the city for improvements in the area. We truly hope that he will continue his successful business for as long as possible, but with retirement on the horizon, we also want to wish him well in his future endeavors. The Council also recognizes him for his service to our residents, and for making a valuable contribution to our local economy.
Congratulations to Mr. Jose Guzman of J & F Auto for his successful business venture in Colton.