CompaniColor

CompaniColor

Practical Report

Compani Color – heart & craftsmanship

In Hayward, CA – the Heart of the Bay Area – stands Compani Color, a shop known for its craftsmanship and commitment. Each project that enters the shop is handled with care, skill and dedication, ensuring it leaves looking its best.

 

At Compani Color, Joe has a dedicated team with Rayn Campi and Chris Montoya, the three of them handling every part of the process with passion and precision – from metal to body work, prepping and sanding, to assembly. When it comes time for paint, that’s Joe’s zone.
Painting is an activity that Joe finds therapeutic, and he loves every minute of it. He humorously describes himself as „having a busy mind“ and he emphasizes that when he is painting in the booth, he becomes fully engrossed in the task. „When painting you can see a lot of progress in a short amount of time, it’s something that I look forward to,“ Joe said. „The larger, long-term projects are especially exciting, because some vehicles have a total of 500-600 hours invested into the project, and seeing it come to completion is a satisfying feeling.“

A Lifelong Love for Cars, Friendships and Opportunities

Joe’s interest in cars was natural – it was all around him. As long as he can remember he loved mechanical things. And his childhood friend and now colleague, Ryan Campi was right here with him.

Joe bought his first car when he was 14 – a 1967 Camaro – and at 16, he decided it needed a fresh coat of paint. He couldn’t afford to pay someone to do it, so he decided to tackle it himself. Joe had no idea what he was doing and honed his skills through trial and error, asking a lot of questions from family and friends.

In high shool, Joe took an auto shop class, where the right teacher made all the difference – turning lessons into something fun and rewarding. Eager to keep learning, he took a job at Olsen’s Auto Body Shop where he expanded his skills.

It was Ryan who later helped Joe land a job at Roy Brizio Street Rods. There, Joe painted mostly frames and engines. Each experience, from pulling wrenches to painting his first car, only fueled Joe’s passion of further lighting the spark that would eventually become Compani Color.

Tools of the Trade

Joe got his first SATA spray gun when he was 17. He painted his cousin’s Firebird, and as a thank you, his cousin gave him a SATA NR 2000 HVLP. „I’ve had it ever since; it means a lot to me,“ he said. „I currently have around ten spray guns and eight of them are constantly in rotation.“

He has the SATAjet X 5500 1.3 O dialed in for metallic, and the SATAjet X 5500 1.2 I dialed in for clear. Right now, these are his favorites, but he is excited to get his hands on the new jet X.

The fit, the feel, and the consistency make SATA a perfect match for Joe. „It’s like driving a nice sports car,“, he said. „I feel supernatural with a SATA in my hand, they feel that good. The SATA brand stands out, not only for the quality in their products, but for the people behind it too.“

 

A Career Highlight

Joe has many cars that are his favorites, but one standout project was Coby Gewertz’s St. Christopher Coupe – a stunning root beer brown hot rod with crazy candy stripes. The car was a true collaboration, built by Compani Color’s next-door neighbors and close friends at South City Rod & Custom. „We got to figure out the colors together, dialing the color scheme until it was just right“, he said. „It really freaks out a lot of people – you either love it or you don’t.“