Woodlands Performance & Suspension

The Woodlands Villager
By Sharon Spoonemore
Contributing Writer
January 26, 2006

Visit Woodlands Performance & Suspension at Safari Club Convention

When Houston Safari Club's 2006 Convention takes place Feb. 3-5 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, Woodlands Performance & Suspension (WPS) will be positioned literally "front and center" of the show. With an exhibit place in the front hall across from registration, the folks at WPS couldn't be happier. WPS is the only performance and suspension business invited to the sold-out expo.

Proceeds from the Convention whose theme is "Trails, Torches, and Traditions" helps the club continue promoting wildlife conservation and youth education. Attendees come from all over the nation to attend the event.

WPS co-owners Dana Pritchard and Sean Rizk are excited to be the only Woodlands' exhibitor invited to participate in the prestigious event. They began their business just three years ago with a desire to grow an automotive business that would fill a particular niche in The Woodlands area. With a lot of hard work they've made their plan a reality.

"We've been on the Houston Safari Club's waiting list for an invitation for a year," said Pritchard. "Now we're anxious for our friends in The Woodlands to pay us a visit at the show that will feature over 150 exhibitors."

When they opened Woodlands Performance & Suspension in summer, 2003, Pritchard and Rizk were determined to support their community. Both were founding members of The Woodlands Car Club and have continued to be active with various civic organizations in the area.

"First and foremost," said Rizk, "we want to offer our community honest, quality automotive expertise and products. Many people are very apprehensive when they come into an automotive shop, so we make it a priority to explain their options and prioritize them so that the customer doesn't feel pressured to do it all at once. We're striving to provide the kind of service that we would want to find in a shop like this."

Rizk's years of automotive expertise and leadership in the shop has earned the respect of many local customers including some who bring in their classic cars for regular maintenance and care as well as many who now look to WPS when they want to customize. The expertise gleaned from 30 years of automotive experience of lead technician Mike Davis, who was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for a motorcycle land speed of 205 mph, is also well-known and respected by customers.

"Our main focus is performance and suspension," Rizk said. "No matter what kind of vehicle you have, it can be upgraded to run better, save wear and tear, and have more power. We can customize any vehicle to meet the customer's needs by listening and offering some fresh ideas."

A visit to the pristine shop full of bright banners makes it easy to see why customers sometimes just "drop by".

"We keep a clean shop and try to make all of our business as pleasant as possible at all times for both customers and employees," said Pritchard. "We want people to enjoy visiting with us and each other when they come in to talk 'shop'."

"We want to treat people like our neighbors," added Rizk.

Teamwork takes on new meaning with Pritchard, Rizk and the WPS team. Their style and determination continues to pay big dividends as business has grown each year.

"We started with just our savings, lived on peanut butter sandwiches, and did one car at a time," said Pritchard. "It was simply word-of-mouth from happy customers that got our business rolling. That's why we're so eager to give back to our community in ever way we can."

Houston Safari Club Convention tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased at the door.

For more information about Woodlands Performance & Suspension, call (281) 363-2977, or go to www.woodlandsperformance.com. For convention info, go to www.houstonsafariclub.org.