Fiesta Insurance Plans 18 New Stores after Sales Growth

In an increasingly automated industry, Huntington Beach-based Fiesta Insurance Franchise Corp. is growing by meeting its customers face to face.

The 10-year-old company sells car, home and business insurance offered by 60 companies such as Pacific Life Insurance Co.

It is planning to add 18 locations in Phoenix next year to supplement its almost 80 locations in California, Texas, New York, Missouri and Florida.

The company targets blue collar workers with lower incomes.

Company founder John Rost started the business in 1999 with a handful of offices, but he decided to expand with franchises three years ago.

Those franchises have pushed sales up more than 40% this year to about $30 million, he said.

While many competitors have looked to grow through online sales, Rost says that with Hispanics—his main customers—face-to face interaction is the preferred way.

Twenty years ago, Rost started working with Hispanics while at a check-cashing business and has never looked back.

“I fell in love with it as a demographic,” he said. “They’re hardworking, good people and loyal customers.”

Competitors that also target the Hispanic market include Adriana’s Insurance Services in Rancho Cucamonga and Cost-U-Less Insurance Center in Rancho Cordova.

Rost previously had an insurance franchise in Scottsdale that he sold to Thaxton Inc. of Pennsylvania 12 years ago.

In his free time he’s an adventurer.

He has climbed the peaks of highest mountains on each of the seven continents, including Mount Everest, he said.

He also holds a speed record for flying his plane from Long Beach to Dallas in June, according to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in Switzerland.

How’s that Sound?

Fountain Valley-based Sound Matrix Studios had its best year ever as rockers flood its rehearsal and recording space.

Blink 182, The Offspring, Brian Setzer, Sugar Ray, Sublime and the drummer from Slayer have all used Sound Matrix’s studio this year to prepare for tours and record their music.

Studio cofounder Chris Whiting says bigger bands started noticing his studios after he added a couple of 2,000-square-foot rooms to its 10,000-square-foot mix.

And as the economic downturn has shrunk many musicians’ investments, more bands are back in the studio to record the next big hit.

“These bands were really popular at one point (and) have been looking to make a comeback,” Whiting said.

Most of the bands use the larger rooms to rehearse for upcoming tours.

Sugar Ray recently recorded a single and shot a video for the song at the studio, according to Whiting.

Companies such as Mazda Motor Corp. and Louisville, Ky.-based Yum Brands Inc.’s Taco Bell Corp. have also used the space to shoot TV commercials.

The larger rooms can rent for $1,200 a day, although they can be had at more than a 50% discount for last-minute deals.

But Sound Matrix’s bread and butter are local bands that use the space for rehearsal and pay about $15 an hour.

In its 14th year, the studio has also seen a number of local bands come through its doors and go on to gain popularity, including Thrice, Avenged Sevenfold, Saosin and the Dirty Heads.

Whiting says his biggest challenge is dealing with the music business’ big personalities, who aren’t always the most responsible with payments.

Whiting owns the building with cofounder Scott Ragotskie.

Pretty Toilets

Westminster-based Wow Toilet LLC wants to jazz up your bathroom.

Its new line of decorative tanks is being marketed to customers who don’t want “boring” bathrooms, the company said.

The designs are easily customized and changed. Cus-tomers pick the design of their choice then slide prints into a protective shield that covers the tank, just as how one would insert a photo into a frame.

The idea came to creator Richard Quintana when he needed a way to cover the plumbing inside the clear tanks his company makes.

He designed the clear tank as a way to better see potential leak areas and other problems inside.

Buyers shopping for their homes have bought designs from patterns to aquarium scenes, while many businesses have opted for logos.

The company, which launched in August, hopes to stay on target for 100,000 sales next year.

“We’re beginning to do great,” said Quintana.

The tanks are made in China and sell for $90 online. The company plans to soon announce deals with small retailers it would sell through.

Ultimately it wants to sell in big stores, including Home Depot and Wal-Mart, Quintana said.

Quintana’s other business, AquaOne Technologies LLC, is looking to notch a million dollars in sales this year with its toilet parts.