I have been given the privilege of introducing you to a man I call Joe. To some, he is known as Jose, to his family back home in Costa Rica he is known as Antonio or “Tonio”. To us here in the North County, for over the last two decades, he is known as G.I.Joe. If you have ever met him, you will not forget him. He speaks with a thick Latin accent, uses his nonverbal communication to get his point across and is not a pushover. You know immediately that you are in the presence of someone who requires your attention and has earned your respect.
Joe was born in Costa Rica and immigrated to the United States in the 70’s. At that time, with very little knowledge of the English language, but with the determination of a winner, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and proudly served for twenty years. While stationed at Camp Pendleton, on his free time, Joe started a Carpet Cleaning business and Restoration Company. That’s how the name, G.I. Joe Cleaning and Restoration came into fruition.
In 2003, Joe purchased his first SERVPRO franchise, Servpro of North Vista/ San Marcos. From that base, he grew his business and purchased Servpro of Escondido, then Carlsbad, NE San Diego County, Beaumont and Banning. Under his watchful eye and determination to be the best, in 2023 Joe’s Servpros, made number one in the entire Nation!
He did it… he realized the American Dream and built a $20 million dollar business from his garage. For a boy who grew up working in the coffee plantations since the age of four, not too shabby! By the grace of God, Joe found enough nutrition in his early years to develop what I know is a mind of a genius. He has a photographic memory and to this day(even now that he is in his 70’s… ),his mind is as sharp as a whistle.
He leads his company with a sense of humility and confidence. A normal guy who made it big by sticking to his word, showing up and getting the job done correctly.
No matter how messy or what time of day or night it is… if you have Joe’s attention, you can rest assured knowing that you called the right person. He will get the job done, like it never happened! His work is a reflection of who he is at the core. He likes to help people get out of difficult situations.
He likes to laugh and play poker and Joe is not one to be fooled, he will call you on your bluff and celebrate with you when you win. He thrives on adrenaline and fear is not an emotion that he embraces. He learned early in his life that “fear” is an emotion that is over-used and will get you nowhere, fast. Sounds like a true Marine to me!
This introduction to “G.I.Joe of North County” is just the beginning of several short stories to come in the next few months. It is my hope that you will find them interesting and will want to follow.
