713 Motoring

The business struggled a lot during the first two years of its existence, so in late 2004, the guys tried something different and moved out of their old office and into a store, where they teamed up with Custom Car Stereo, which had been in business for quite some time. “Actually, we wanted to lease their old spot that they had moved out of, but they told us that it was cool if we sold wheels out of their new store,” Barnes said. “We definitely turned the corner in February of ’05.”

From there, the focus turned to increasing their clientele, and it wasn’t until the guys began working with Houston-based promoters that things began to take off. “Chris Mitchell was the first promoter that had parties, then Lisa Rogers and Harvey Harper,” Barnes said. “A lot of people started to notice us for the way we dressed—all in black with our 713 Motoring logo. Every time we would participate in anything, we would get the finest models around town and put them in 713. We’d roll 20-deep; there’d be 10 guys and 10 girl models, and we’d go to the car shows and make the best of everything.”

At first, the guys sold to the promoters, who, impressed, would pass the word on and publically give 713 props at parties. When the guys would go to clubs, they’d always get shout outs from DJs Eric and Hi-C, who worked closely with the promoters. “They’d say, ‘713 is in the building!’ After a while, we started getting more and more cars,” Barnes said.

In a matter of time, the guys went from doing a lot of one-piece stuff, in-and-out, to whole concepts. “You know, three-piece wheels, body kits, paint, suede headliner… So, we went from doing $1,300 a car to $13,000,” Barnes said.

Some things never change, however, and the guys have always maintained an emphasis on exceptional customer service. Whether it be providing basic services such as new tires, rims or a tow, or making things easier for always busy athletes and celebrities, the guys always do what they have to do.

“Our main focus was to go the extra mile for customers,” Barnes said. “We know all of our customers on a first-name basis…and we have a whole lot of customers.” However, it doesn’t stop there; 713 Motoring is also very active in the community. “We participate in the community,” Barnes added. “We give back to our high school a lot by sponsoring the football program. We work with a couple of churches here in town. We just give back to the community. We’re pretty grounded guys. We all go to church on Sunday. We’re blessed, so we bless other people, and that’s working out good for us.”