Where it all happens. Seatmate at the corner of Martinez and Santo Rosario streets in Mandaluyong City.

ONE of the success stories in the after-sales industry of the vehicle industry is this one upholstery shop that has weathered the test of time in the local market.

From a modest facility in Mandaluyong City, Seatmate, whose main office is in Santo Rosario Street, has evolved into a fully customized car interior services that is being patronized by its old and new clients up to these days.

And it was the owner Rommel San Pedro who single-handedly carried the transformation of his company since it was erected in 1972. “Nasa buhay na namin yung kotse noon pa man dahil halos lahat ng pinakain sa amin ng aming magulang galing sa kotse,” said Rommel whose father was a car dealer then.

The creativity of an engineer in him is one big factor which San Pedro thinks carried him through the business. “Nagsimula lang ako sa isang mananahi. Ako mismo ang gumagawa ng pattern at ako din ang nagkakabit noon. Ako rin ang napapagalitan ng may-ari kung problema.” San Pedro says that starting out was quite hard for him. “When I first started, I came out with the name JERAMAMAS, which represented the names of my seven brothers and sister—we became nine in all when our father remarried and had two more kids. Pero pinalitan ko rin ng ‘Seatmate’ after three years dahil iba yung may name recall. Pinagpala naman ng Diyos at nakakaraos,” he said.

The entrepreneur seemed to have started on the wrong foot when in 1983, right after the death of Ninoy Aquino and the car industry was also dead, Rommel had an agreement with the owner of a gasoline station that he would do the upholstery requirements of the latter’s customers. “Nagkaroon kagad ako ng isang kliyenteng taga-US Embassy na may lumang kotse na hindi magawa-gawa ’yung roof upholstery pagkatapos na magpalipat-lipat na siya ng gumagawa. Naayos ko naman at nagulat at natuwa ’yung Amerikano.”

That started it all and his name has become a byword among his clients’ friends as well as in the upholstery business. He put up his store in 1986 as he rented a nearby bodega and renovated it, using up almost all of his P6,000 savings. “Pero, dahil medyo maganda ’yung advertisement ko sa labas, tatlong araw lang kinita ko rin yung pambayad kong P1,400 sa isang buwan sa puwesto,” San Pedro recounted.

From a lone employee, San Pedro added three more personnel who were experts in their field of work. “Yes, three of them are still working with me up to now. Magagaling na upholsterers sila at talagang ibinigay yata sa akin ng Diyos,” said San Pedro, who added that car refurbishing opened up new horizons in his business. “’Yung may mga lumang kotse nagpapalit ng bagong upholstery. ’Yung mga bago naman gusto nila pagandahin pa at kumporme sa panlasa nila. Ang panlaban talaga naming maganda ’yung gawa namin, mas mura at may quality. I really insisted on the quality of our work,” he shared.

Eleven months after, Rommel had to transfer his store to Santo Rosario since his place was taken over by the owner. “Fortunately, ’yung Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge binuksan kung kaya’t dumami yung mga walk-in clients namin. From four personnel, nagdagdag ako ng mga tao hanggang maging 35 lahat.”

But the series of celebrated coup d’etats in 1987 not only brought painful consequences to his business but also to the whole economy. “For almost a month bagsak ang negosyo. Biyernes Santo talaga ang negosyo,” said San Pedro, who realized that he had several employees to feed and no business coming in. He also had an overstock of seat covers and carpets that tripled his dilemma.

Just when he was about to fall into despair, a golden opportunity came his way while he and a companion were in Parañaque. “Nagkaroon ako ng idea nung makita ko yung mga gumagawa ng mga galbanisadong owner-type jeep doon. Naisip ko na bakit hindi ako gumawa ng foldable backseat na multipurpose. Tamang-tama naman noon na may nag-alok sa akin ng No-Zag Spring na putol na at galing sa isang nagsaradong car company noon,” San Pedro recounted.

After coming up with a prototype of the product, San Pedro returned to Parañaque and started selling his idea to sellers of owner-type jeeps. It clicked and in just five to six hours of going around the various stores, he produced orders worth some P230,000. The next month, he sold more than P450,000 worth of foldable backseats. “Up to now, napapakinabangan pa rin ’yan. At talaga yatang itinuro sa akin ng Panginoon ang lahat ng dapat kong gawin pati na ’yung mga kailangang gamitin para maisalba ko ’yung negosyo ko pati na ’yung mga taong umaasa rin sa aking negosyo,” San Pedro said.

The boss at work. Rommel San Pedro, Seatmate proprietor, (touching the vehicle’s tire) attends to his clients personally whenever he is available.

Today, San Pedro has a total of 70 personnel and has acquired a new place just a stone’s throw away from his old but still existing store on Santo Rosario Street. He is now into general upholstery, fabrication and other special projects.

Recently, Seatmate has partnered with a Japanese company that fabricates racing seats. “We were assigned to do the upholstery.  The seat is made of natural composite carbon fiber and Kevlar, which is light but very sturdy. It sells for around P16,000 each,” San Pedro said.

San Pedro also showed us some of the new cars that have been fitted with interesting upholstery. One is a seven-seater Toyota Innova with a walk-through aisle and a captain’s seat in the middle row. “Very ideal yan sa mga Filipino. We offered it and fitted it in many Innovas last year. Ngayong taon lang naglabas ng ganyang modified seat ang Toyota,” said San Pedro.

He even said that a Hi-Ace Commuter’s seats can be made luxurious and one can also add Captain’s Seat. “Pinapalitan din naming ng folding back seat for more cargo. ’Yung sa Starex Cargo Vans, puwede rin naming gawan ng customized seats according to the needs of the owner,” he revealed.

Yes, Seatmate still accepts upholstery services on old cars and vans. As we wrapped up the interview, San Pedro said that through the years his company has been committed to serve his clients with quality work but at a much cheaper price. “Ang tao kasi unlimited ang needs. Through the years we had built up faithful clientele who really knows our capabilities. Kapag nag-request sila, alam nila na kaya naming gawin. Isa pa, hindi kami tumitigil sa pag-experiment at innovation. ’Yung iba, kapag sinabing Seatmate, mahal daw. Hindi! Mas mura nga kami kaysa mga organized na kumpanya dahil volume kami kung bumili ng aming raw materials.”

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