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Garwin Beukes - “There will always be setbacks”, Alois Griefender, a 22-year old car-tuning prodigy explains.
Namibia’s slowly growing car-tuning industry has become a lucrative business; this being the main reason for the recent wild sprout of local car customizing shops in the country. Griefender however insists on showing the Namibian nation that despite his age, he isn’t a temporary kid on the block. Rather that he’s a force to reckoned with.
Griefender recently stated that he is well on his way to opening a third workshop. The 22-year-old, who has a workshop in the Khomasdal residential area in Windhoek, is also in partnership with a well known panel beater, Ananias Mwamberwa. The two jointly own the workshop in Katutura where their spray booth is located.
Although the common perception is that Griefender does most of the work himself, he explained that he has a team of professionals who he supervises and concentrates mainly on the act of spray painting, which is his specialty.
The team, registered under the company Toy Boyz Tuning, consists of a welder, three panel beaters, two mechanics, a driver and a tool boy. The latest addition to his team is a technician who installs tracking devices - one of the new services the company is really proud to be associated with.
Griefender says he got most of these young gentlemen from other companies, as they were already in the business and thus know all the tricks of the trade, “my company may be young but my staff has the world’s experience,” he joked.
Because of such a high inflow of customers based in Namibia’s northern regions, he said he is now planning to set up a car customizing shop in the area. “I am really set on opening in Ongwediva, but I’m still keeping my options open”, he said
All however hasn’t been sunshine and rainbows for the young talent. Recently one of his builds was heavily criticized after the car landed up at another tuner’s workshop.
Social media had their fair share of what is commonly known as “shade thrown” when it appeared that the car Griefender had been working on wasn’t well rounded off. When approached with the topic, Griefender said he had remained quiet as the client has already spoken. He said what a lot do not know was that this car was a project he was still very far from done with. “We were working on this car for a client who was slightly impatient. Half way through the client wanted his car back and that meant we had to hurry with putting things back. This car wasn’t done,” he concluded.
But keeping his head high, he remarked that with every mistake he makes, he gets better and plans on being a great name in the motor customizing industry.
