Meet Jaymz Onion of Joy of St Croix – Tub Repair and More

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaymz Onion.

Hi Jaymz, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I paint bathtubs.

I left home at 13 and apprenticed to a boat building and repair shop in the Caribbean. I was exposed to travelers from all around the globe and soaked it up like a thirsty plant. When I wasn’t working at the boat builders I was creating Art and selling it to the tourist shops. At the end of my apprenticeship the owner of the yacht I was working on took me to give me a gratuity: he was going to give me some advice. He waved his hand towards the line of hotels and told me that he owned three hotels just like the ones we were looking at. He informed me that maintenance costs on bathtubs were high because of how much abuse they have to endure and not become a liability. Porcelain on steel bathtubs are no good for sea-side hotels, he told me, because they rust out quickly and a whole remodel is necessary. He predicted gelcoat on fiberglass bathtubs would become the norm because they don’t rust and can be repaired easily. Here’s the advice he gave me: “More people have bathtubs than have boats – apply your skills where they’re sorely needed. “

The next week, as a new journeyman, I went to a hotel and told them I could repair chips, cracks, and holes in their bathtubs.

For the past 50 years I have bought engineering and classical Art techniques to repairing and refinishing bathtubs, creating a scientifically defensible framework for engineering longevity and beauty. I know of no other company who polishes their paint job to a mirror-like reflection, or replaces the drain plug and caulking with new, let alone claim that the reasoning is for the longevity of the coating.

As an Artist I’ve had great accomplishments, but what I’m proud of as an achievement is that I made something of that advice given to me so long ago.
Almost 50 years later I have made not only made a solid positive impact on my community and my field, but the men I have trained are lauded for the work they do for their community.
My good friend, Mo, that’s who you need to do an interview with – he’s the best (everybody says so).

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No destination worth reaching is without struggle. The big struggle I had to learn in my early journey was to accept that mastery of a skill or an activity, is only achieved and demonstrated by difficulty. If a person can only handle the smooth and easy tasks then they do not have the capability to adapt what they know into a new application that creatively answers a seemingly new situation.

You don’t develop courage without facing danger;
or honesty without temptation;
or patience without trials;
or endurance without suffering;
or wisdom without heart and brain wracking puzzles.

These are the very things we treasure most about people. Ask yourself if you would be willing to be devoid of those virtues. If your answer is no, then don’t disdain the means of obtaining them.

As you know, we’re big fans of Joy of St Croix – Tub Repair and More. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Joy of St Croix is the longest operating local bathtub refinishing and repair company in the CSRA (Georgia and South Carolina), having began in the USVI in 1980.

With almost 3 decades of local experience in Augusta, GA and the surrounding communities of the CSRA, Joy of St Croix has won repeated business and design awards; most recently being voted Best Repair Service in Augusta for 2025 and 2026 by Business Rate, and Winner of Hawk Labs 2026 Most Amazing Project.

With Joy of St Croix – Tub Repair and More, you can confidently identify, estimate, and place orders 24 hours a day – with no salesperson ever having to be in your home.

With our published prices graduated by size of the damage to be repaired, the customer can reliably estimate the price of the project by measuring their damage and locate the price on the product page.

The customer can securely place the order online with a deposit and receive a receipt immediately. The customer receives all communication by email to avoid any miscommunication in ordering, scheduling, and the work-order.

The purpose of the website is to avoid costly delays on the day of the appointment caused by mistakes and omissions in the ordering process.

Here’s a take-away:
Joy of St Croix publishes our prices for bathtub repair and refinishing – because we know how much we charge for what we’ve been doing everyday since 1980.
Need a price today? We publish it.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
Music….everywhere.

Pricing:

• bathtub refinishing – $1200
• strip old finish – $300
• replace drain plug – included
• replace caulking – included
• polish to mirror-like reflection – included

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.joyofstcroix.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joyofstcroixfrontdoor/