Family teams up to retrofit emergency vehicles

Twenty-nine-year-old Roger “Rogie” Estrada never realized his political science degree could help boost his dad’s mechanic shop.

After graduating from Texas A&M, Estrada settled in Houston but soon his dad Rogerio Estrada Jr. called him to ask him to come back to Rio Grande City and help him with the business that branched off doing retrofitting of emergency vehicles.

The father had been assigned a contract from the Starr County Precinct 1 to build a brush truck for the fire department and thought his son was the perfect liaison to deal with the project with the client and the suppliers.

“He knows how to have meetings, how to go with numbers and contact the companies that are selling the parts and order what you really need and not be wasting time with the wrong part going back and forth,” the father said.

“Because you need education, and speak their language,” the father said.

“You need some education to go on (today), before no, you could get away,” said the father who is a mechanic with a lot of experience.

“He could be working someplace else and earning more money, but he likes to be around his family,” the elder Estrada said.

Estrada is proud of what they have accomplished in their shop, building a brush truck for the fire department from scratch.

The shop west of Rio Grande received the diesel motor cabin with a wood flat bed, and equipped it with a 1,025 poly-tank covered with a steel case and a 23 HP pump.

The truck can go into the brush and pump the needed water on the fire.

The equipment of this truck took about six months and cost between $30,000 and $40,000. The job required electricians, welders and painters.

The Estradas claim to be the only company in deep South Texas that can do this type of work. Fire departments with similar vehicles get them from north of San Antonio.

The Estradas, whose Quik Auto Service is on 4436 west of Expressway 83, also equips emergency vehicles with cameras, radio systems, lights and phantom decals. Roma PD, Escobares PD, Sullivan City PD, La Joya PD and Zapata are among their clients.

“Our work is quality top notch, and that is what we pride of ourselves — from the minor details to the major details,” Estrada said.

Their customers agree.

“As a police officer I know the importance of doing quality products, making it function, because safety is our number one concern” said Sgt. Raul Reyes of the Roma Police Department.

Martha L. Hernández covers Mission, western Hidalgo County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4846.