Meet Jonathan Rudd of Laced by J5 in Stockbridge

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Rudd.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jonathan . So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been interested in custom cars since before I started driving. When I got my first vehicle (a 1971 Buick Skylark) I saw it as a blank canvas. I couldn’t wait to get started making it my own. I’ve always had a need for an artistic outlet. Throughout my childhood it transitioned from drawing to making beats and now car customizations. Like everyone else, the first thing I wanted to get in it was a sound system. After that, I quickly began searching for some custom wheels but due to the car being stolen I never got to finish that project. But it didn’t stop there. A few years later I got my first motorcycle and I couldn’t stand it’s original color so I painted it. This was my first time experimenting with changing the color of a vehicle. I was happy with the results but after painting another motorcycle and a few miscellaneous car parts, I realized I wasn’t a fan of the automotive painting process.

The next time I wanted add some color to one of my cars I tried vinyl. I loved the way it installed and the finished project. I couldn’t wait to figure out what else I could use it on so I ordered more vinyl decals and had great success installing them too. Eventually, I got the courage to use vinyl to wrap a whole car and wanted to try the chrome look. The cheapest vinyl I could find was on eBay. It was a little more difficult than I expected but I did okay. I noticed issues with the product and realized that the “cheap route” wasn’t the best route. I was somewhat discouraged but after more research I found that all vinyl isn’t created equally so I tried it again on my new Challenger.

The Challenger turned out great and everyone loved what I did with the total design of the car. Eventually, I got another bike and by this time I was more comfortable with my skills so I was ready to attempt a full wrap again. It was my first full wrap and I thought I did pretty good. I then talked my wife into letting me do a full wrap on her car. This one also went well. Over the years, my peers had always asked me about the customizations on my cars and how much I would charge them to do theirs. I used to shy away from it but I enjoyed the vinyl wrapping process so much that I decided to go into business and offer vinyl customizations to others. In December 2017, I began the process to officially start my own business. Today, thanks to social media and referrals, I have a steady flow of customers coming in for a wide range of services.

Has it been a smooth road?
It took a while to get the right process going for booking and handling appointments. That part was hard for me because I was so focused on the actual installs. Thankfully my wife, Dacia, helped me get a system going for making the communication and exchanges with customers easier. Sometimes when she’s not around I forget to use those processes so I’m still working on it.

Another challenge of course is being new to this industry. Customers always want to see my previous work, so having examples of the different services is important to building my client-base. Figuring out how to price jobs was also difficult in the beginning. I wanted to charge enough to show respect to the industry but make it competitive enough to get the business.

Lastly, the idea of vinyl wraps is still new to many people. Explaining what wraps are to those who are unfamiliar can be difficult. I oftentimes tell people that it’s a giant sticker that can be used to customize your car, advertise your business, or change the entire color of your vehicle.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Laced by J5 story. Tell us more about the business.
My business is named Laced by J5. You may be asking yourself what does that mean or what do we do? We are an automotive customization shop that focuses on vinyl wraps. “Laced” is defined on urbandictionary.com as an adjective used to describe something, or someone, who is very put-together, has their game on tight, looks good. That’s exactly what we do to your ride.

My first car was my most valuable possession so it was important to me to make it my own. I wanted it stand out from the rest. I bring that same spirit into my business. I don’t want to just make your car look “cool,” I want to customize it in a way that makes it uniquely yours. I like brainstorming with customers about their vision for their vehicle and then I explain to them how we can use vinyl to bring that to life. Vinyl is a very versatile product and that’s one of the things I love about it.

I’m a true car enthusiast–this allows me to be passionate about all projects regardless of value or stature. When I look at a vehicle, design cues just pop out at me. I use those cues to add special touches to projects as a little surprise for the customers. These are things we didn’t previously discuss but they end up loving anyway. This is what I’m most proud of as a company.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see color change wraps becoming a larger percentage of the industry. Commercial and full print wraps account for majority of vinyl wrap installations. These are the graphics you see on company vehicles that advertise for businesses. Color change wraps are a newer segment of the industry. These wraps can change the entire exterior color of personal vehicles and are generally more cost-effective than a custom paint job. Wraps are great for leased or high-end vehicles because they allow you to change the appearance without diminishing the value. There are hundreds of colors available now and that number is growing every day. Many of them offer paint like finishes and when installed by the right person it can be hard to tell if a vehicle is wrapped or painted.

Everyone knows what a paint job is but not everyone knows about color change wraps. The popularity of this segment is growing rapidly. In the next five years, it will likely represent half of the vehicle wrap industry.

1 Comment

1. 

   Kenny Williams

   August 8, 2019 at 11:26 am

   Nice read congratulations
   Can you wrap concession trailers
   Can you do anything on a custom smoker

   Reply