Vendor Spotlight “Crawford Speed”

A custom shop that specializes in custom suspension, fabrication, and performance modifications. If it goes fast or you want to lay it on the ground Crawford Speed is for you. Here is our interview with them.

ST: Tell us your name and company?

CS: Crawford Speed

ST: When did you decide to get into the business? 

CS: I have been in the performance/custom industry for about 15 years. I started my own shop about 8 months ago.

ST: Tell us more about your company? History/ history behind the name.

CS: We are a custom shop that specializes in custom suspension, fabrication, and performance modifications. The name of the business comes from my last name and the facts that we deal with performance work. We specialize in custom trucks of all kinds as well as performance streetcars and track cars as well. We can bag your truck or build/prep your race car.

ST: What were some of the struggles you had in the beginning?

CS: Most of our early struggles come from being a one man operation and find a way to make jobs flow in and out of the shop efficiently. 

ST: What were some of the wins you had that you knew it was going to work?

Meeting Eddy Cebreco and John Zielinga. They both have a lot of connections in the industry and we’re able to send clients my way to help build a customer base. I can’t thank those two enough for all the support they have given me. 

ST: What do you do to stand out from your competitors?

CS: We pride ourselves on our communication with customers and providing the best work and customer service we can offer. In south Florida, that’s a rarity. So by being honest and transparent, and providing quality work, we have gained and maintained many customers on those principals.

ST: Do you attend shows and if so, about how many a year? 

CS: We attend many local events in south Florida and set up our booth. We also try and make a few major shows a year, to expand our reach in the industry and get our name out in different markets.

ST: Do you have or have/ had a custom vehicle? If so, give us an overview of what you own/ have owned.

CS: I have had many. I have had a few s10’s that were on bags, I currently have a C6 corvette and an extended cab OBS pickup. I have owned Audi’s and VW’s, American muscle cars, I’m currently working on a k swapped Honda and I have a fox body mustang I’m in the process of putting together as well. I love the automotive community and I don’t discriminate between brands or styles. We like it all. Unless you’re a stance kid.

ST: Where can we buy your product?

CS: Currently working on a website to sell our merchandise and showcase our work.

ST: What is the future for your business?

CS: I would like to see the business grow into a larger space with a few employees in the next couple years and see where it goes from there. We are also contemplating a move out of Florida in the future.

ST: What advice you would give to anyone wanting to start a business.

CS: Work. You have to put in the time to make it work. You have to take pride in your product as well as you client relationships. Delivering on your promises and having great customer service is the best thing you can do to move yourself forward in this industry

ST: What do you think about the current and future state of the industry?

CS: Currently the industry seems to be in a growth stage right now. I think that with the current state of the automotive culture, we are going to be seeing more trucks built using EV technology. It’s definitely a trend across the automotive industry, and with OEM’s releasing crate EV packages, I think over the next few years we will see more trucks using that tech.

ST: Thank you for the interview and do you have any last parting words for our readers? 

CS: Thank you for supporting the scene. Truck people are a diehard community and it’s nice to see the family vibe they all have. It’s genuinely one of the most inclusive, hate free segments of the custom culture and I’m proud to be a part of it. Also, a big thank you to my wife, Alejandra, for the support and pushing me to start my own shop. As well as Eddy Cebreco and John Zielinga for always being in my corner and supporting me and the shop from the beginning.