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Business & Tech

Customized for Work or 4Play

New custom motorcycle and automobile shop thriving in Downtown Peabody.

4Play Customs

Owners: Isaias Ruberto, Gibson Silva and Rick Cioffi

4 Play Customs is the realization of a dream for three friends, motorcycle enthusiasts and expert technicians who decided to pool their individual technical talents together to create a one-stop custom shop for, well, everything that moves.

In 2010, the three Revere natives: Isaias Ruberto, Gibson Silva and Rick Cioffi were all employed in other mechanic shops. All had the same general feeling of being unappreciated and dissatisfied with how businesses treated their customers. They decided to make a change and come together with their dream of creating a top-notch operation with a priority towards customer service and satisfaction.

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In scouting for a location for this new venture, they found the shop on Caller Street in Downtown Peabody, and decided to take the plunge.

Silva, the security expert technician of the trio, explains the decision to open in Peabody: “The North Shore area didn’t have our techniques all under one roof. People like the convenience of being able to leave their car for the day, and while they go to work, everything needed for the vehicle is addressed all in one shop. You have to diversify in this market.”

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With ever expanding computer technology influencing most facets of daily life, the world of auto and motorcycle customization has moved well beyond the days of just key-lock and automatic start features.

Although 4 Play Customs sees plenty of those customers as well, today the options are limited only by the customer's imagination. The trio's motto is: "If you can dream it, we can build it," whether that includes removable iPads installed into the dashboard to specialized wheels, radio amplifiers and lights or satellite navigation and security features.

Silva said all the technological rage in the industry now is text to speech, which was introduced to the market last year.

“It’s a wireless Bluetooth system that reads you your texts and emails over the speakers in your car or motorcycle,” he said. “Before this, it used to be just voice, but now it works with texts and emails also, which people like because they can be totally hands-free.”

Ruberto says he's been pleased with the reception the business has had thus far and the steady stream of returning customers are proof of success.

“Everyone in this business has 10 plus years of experience, plus we really cater to our customers' needs; we try really hard to accommodate them. It’s the customer service that keeps them coming back,” he said.

“This used to be a greasy motorcycle shop and a lot of times we get customers walking in thinking it still is. When they walk through the door, the first thing they say is, ‘Wow, this place is clean!’” he said. “It’s a nice melting pot and we can relate to everyone that comes in because we speak three different languages between us, so we can talk to everyone.”

While their passion is for vehicles of the two-wheeled variety, the trio does work on all vehicles from sedans to ice-cream trucks.

“We even paint Huffy’s if we have to,” Ruberto joked. “Anything with a battery, really."

Ruberto says it’s more than the price point comparison that holds customers' loyalties, it’s the personal approach.  

“You walk in for service, you walk out with our cell phone numbers,” he said, laughing. “And when you call here, you don’t have to dial seven to get a person; we always answer the phones. The community needs a business like us, and we’ll continue to do this as long as we can.”

For more information about 4Play Customs, located at 11 Caller St, check out the website or find the shop on Facebook.

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