I’m sitting on the bed in my hotel room kind of watching the news or maybe the news is watching me. Doesn’t matter, my mind is on questions for my CEO story with the owners of 310 Motoring. My ear catches a news story segment, “What is it that draws so many athletes and entertainers to 310 Motoring?” Perfect, I may be able to write half of this story before I even get there in the morning. The news story opens with a wide angle shot of a showroom containing two Bentleys, a Ferrari, a Mercedes S500, the new Audi convertible and two motorcycles. While taking notes, I notice the things these guys can do to the inside of a car. I hear on the TV, “we did a complete system in this Escalade that would retail for close to $65,000." Now my curiosity is peaked, and I can’t wait to find out what would merit $65,000.

I'm wondering where the place is as I end up driving by it twice. I finally spotted a Mercedes at the end of a fence line and turned in and found it. I did not want to be late for the interview as it was made crystal clear this guy's time is money. My first glance Inside was not what I had in mind at all. Where was the huge showroom with 30-foot ceilings, the 20,000 square ft. shop, the salesmen in suits and the lines to park my car? And furthermore, why is there a police car on the lot? I jumped out of my car and asked someone in a 310 Motoring t-shirt, “I’m looking for Marc Laidler. Could you point me in his direction?” He replied, “Marc's not here yet. Why don’t you look around and I’ll give him a call. Is there anything I can get you to drink?” If nothing else, they are very accommodating. I had a hard time determining who does what around here, and it’s even harder to stop someone and ask some questions. Almost everyone is wearing some type of 310 logo t-shirt and they're buzzing around the premises with a sense of urgency.

An attractive lady walks up to me and says that Marc is on his way and asks if there's anything she can do for me. I asked her for some background information like who the owners were. As it turned out, she was one of the five along with Chris Mills, Dornell Griffin, Raul Becerille and Marc Laidler. She then pointed out Raul to me. I walk over to Raul, he looks at me and says, “Please give me one minute and you will have my undivided attention.” Raul explains that the company is made up of 28 employees and five owners. We don’t talk for 10 minutes before he is interrupted six times. He is extremely polite as he answers each question definitively and picks up right where he left off. He squeezes off a couple of sentences and gets interrupted again. “Let me tell you a couple of things that separate us from the others. First is the quality of the job and second is the level of service we give to our customers. We are available 24 hours a day and I mean that literally. Our phones stay on and believe me, over the three years we have all tended to a midnight call. If Gary Payton calls us and says his radio is broken we are on a plane right now to Seattle to fix the problem.” I can tell by his tone that he is very serious and has hundred examples of similar situations as if I didn’t believe him; but no worries I do. I ask him about the cars on the lot. Are some of these for sale or are they all having systems put in them? “About 10 to 15% of our business is direct sales, two or three are consignment and the rest are car enhancement. Almost always, a customer has already purchased their car and they want to put some type of system in it. We also have customers that call and say ‘I want a CL500 with a complete system in it’. For them we purchase the car, install the system, give it a complete detail and deliver it to their door.” Now my curiosity is peaked again. Just what is a complete system? “For us a complete system means tint, alarm, wheels & tires, CD, DVD, VCR, multiple TV’s and Sony Playstation. Take a look at this Escalade.” This truck looked like it fell out of a dream. It had multiples of everything. I couldn’t see any reason to ever get out of it, other than to eat and use the restroom. But I'm sure they could find a way to accommodate that as well. It was absolutely exquisite, and by the way he described every detail to the exact tee, you knew there wasn't anyone better in the business than this guy.

Raul’s eyes light up and he is thrilled to show me this plain looking truck. He explains, “This is Dr. Dre’s new truck. We are turning this into an executive limo. It’s just getting back from the paint shop. One side has been sealed shut, the side moldings and sideboards are permanently attached, and the entire car has been painted black. You will only be able to enter from the passenger side and the inside will blow that Escalade out of the water.” I know he can’t be referring to that dream car I just saw, so I ask. “That is right,” he says. “In this truck we will be installing a complete audio system including multiple DVD’s, CD and radio. A state-of-the-art video system with several TV’s and a 28” LCD screen, and a communication system out of this world. It will have satellite, the Internet, fax capabilities, and laptop hook-up, phones, intercom and two-way radios. There will also be a divider between the driver and Dre.” Dare I ask the price of this spaceship on the ground? “I cannot remember,” he says nonchalantly, “somewhere between 150 and 200 thousand.” Hell, if that’s all, give me one too.

I hear someone call my name. Marc is here and ready to meet. What more do I need to know? I figure I will ask Marc a couple of questions, not take up too much of his time and be on my way. Marc is a little late and I wonder if he knows it or cares. He definitely knows and even more so, he very much cares. He gives me a sincere apology worthy of a Hollywood script and retreats behind his desk. People flood into his office and I feel like I should give him some time to answer the abundance of questions flying over my head. He asks someone to close the door and looks at me to make sure I am ready to get started. He offers me some water and I can immediately tell this superior customer service I have been witnessing trickles down from the top.

Let's start from the top. How and why did you create this company? Attentively he explains, “I used to work for Beverly Hills Motoring in sales. It was quickly apparent that I was brought on to attract and solicit African American clients. The problem was once I provided the client, there was no after care. No one was properly serviced after purchase and to me that looked bad. I got my chance with a call from Marcus Camby who said he wanted a Lincoln Navigator done up and he didn’t care where I did the work.” Marc quit his job that day, called his friend Raul and convinced him to quit his job and they were in business together. Out of Raul's garage, Marcus Camby’s truck was born and so was 310 Motoring. I asked why the name three-ten motoring. “Actually it’s 3-1-0 and it was derived from the likes of 90210 and other number titles. I wanted it to be synonymous with the nicer parts of L.A., aka, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. 310 is not just a name, it is a brand.” I am watching his eyes and I can see thoughts flying around his head as he processes just how much information and knowledge he wants to share with me. While he is pondering, I am thinking ‘brand name?' He takes a deep breath and lets me into the mind of a businessman with a vision as dynamic as the most expensive car on his lot. Suddenly, all of my unanswered questions were answered and I understand why this enormous crew has so much respect and admiration for the soft-spoken man they call boss. You see, Marc is not trying to be the best audio/visual systems installer in the country, he already is. He is trying to be at the top of whatever business venture he takes on. How important is it for this guy to make millions? Not very important at all. Do I believe him? After my conversation with him, yes absolutely. This young businessman is driven by an inward spirit that refuses to let him settle for second best and a level of integrity that would have most of us second guessing our motivation for not paying a bill on time. How does a man who’s had checks written to him multiple times for millions plus not find himself caught up chasing the almighty dollar?

He lets me in on his secret. “One of my reasons for being here is to inform young African Americans as well as old that they can attain any goals they set for themselves. I don’t have anything that hard work and determination can’t produce for the next person. I am also humbled by the fact that I know all of this can be taken from me tomorrow.” This type of grounding is evident when you look at the pictures on the walls in the office. Marc has done cars for Hollywood directors, professional athletes and a plethora of actors and entertainers, but the pictures in front of him are the ones that have his heart, the kids that belong to the Vision Right of Passage charity. He won’t call them ‘at risk’ youth, just great kids who are seeking a little guidance. If you think this guy can’t be this gracious, just ask the kids, they voted him mentor of the year. These are the thank you notes that he keeps close, not the ones from Hollywood directors thanking him for consulting on their film or from professional athletes, but from a lady that works for the post office and tells him how she saved for five months so she could have a wood package from 310 Motoring installed in her car. These are the people that Marc holds near and dear, along with his coworkers (he refuses to call them employees because like family, they are extremely important to him). Don’t let Marc fool you, he is a bit of a control freak, but more so for the quality aspect of it and not the ego, although you don’t start up the first African American owned Indy Car team (310 Racing) without possessing some kind of arrogance. If you’re looking to dress yourself with urban sophistication, keep your eyes open for 310 Clothing. How about renting a Ferrari, Benz or Escalade next time you are in LA? Give a call to 310 Auto Rental. You can’t be in LA without someone telling you they can help you cut an album. You guessed it, look up 310 Record Company. That word ‘branding’ is starting to become clearer to me by the minute. Don’t begin to classify this man as ‘a jack of all trades, master of none.' Remember, he didn’t just start an audio installation company. 310 Motoring will sell you the car, do a complete install of the latest gadgets, put wheels and tires on it, detail the car, ship it to you on their covered transport truck anywhere in the country and then service it whenever you need it. They are the real deal here and expect Marc to put the same passion into everything that carries the brand name 310. By the way, that police car in the lot is one they are working on for a movie.

The company ceased operation sometime prior to 2008 but announced a reopening in 2019.

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This article was originally published in Flossin Magazine #1. The original author of this article is Fawn Aberson. This article is optimized for web by Steven Christian (Artist | Author | Podcaster).

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