I have spent many hours at Nfamus Air Suspension over the past few years, shooting features, chatting, drinking beer, and often times just getting in the way. Over this time, I have built a relationship with shop owner, Keith Sawyer, on a level deeper than that of the average customer. In the early days I didn’t know anything about Keith’s background like where he grew up, what kind of fabrication experience he had, or even how he afforded to open his shop. What I did know, however, was that I had seen several builds from a relatively unknown shop that were of such impeccable quality that I had to meet the guys responsible.
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Since that time, Nfamus Air Suspension has become a leader in designing and creating some of the most unique and stunning pieces of art to grace any cover or show ground. The transformation from an often-overlooked shop, when compared to other popular Texas competitors, to a highly acclaimed fabrication facility didn’t come overnight. Keith began his days in Lufkin, Texas, where he worked at several different established shops. Keith’s interest in the components of building a custom vehicle allowed him to study the elements of specialized stereo installs and management of custom sound. Later, experience with installation of lift kits, air suspension, and rollcages gave him his first introduction into metal fabrication and would ultimately serve as the catalyst responsible for the now award-winning shop. Keith realized early on that performing quality air-suspension installs had become somewhat of an anomaly in recent years, and filling the void is something that he would soon focus all his efforts toward. With a little startup cash from his brother, Keith opened Nfamus Air Suspension. The doors opened on December 27, 2006, and since that day Keith has continued to use an outside-the-box approach to building vehicles, taking criticisms of other shop experiences, and creating an environment that is refreshing in today’s custom market.
I have often wondered what it takes for an individual to trust his truck and hard-earned money to an individual whom they don’t really know on a personal level. I asked Keith about that, and he stated that besides quality craftsmanship a key to any business is customer service: “I hear it time and time again that in dealing with shops, customers just want to know what is going on with their truck. Customers will be updated as to the progress and completion date of their vehicle, as well as have an active role in the design process. It’s a simple concept that is often overlooked by so many.”
Keith also encourages every potential customer to tour the shop prior to bringing their truck in for a visit: “It gives me a chance to take mental notes as they browse the projects that we are currently working on. They point out the things that they like, and by doing this, it points me in the right direction of what kind of style my customer is wanting.”
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Aside from Keith, the sole Nfamus employees are Marcos Felan and Neal Rimmer. The fact that this facility produces more cover trucks than those with five times the staff is a true testament to a dedicated work ethic. Keith adds, “I would say my biggest inspiration for how I work is my mother. I have never seen anyone work as hard as her. Growing up, I always thought I would have to work harder than anyone in my family to prove myself to my parents. I didn’t finish college, and both of my other siblings did, so the only way I could prove myself was to bust ass and do something worth being proud of.”
Nfamus offers a wide range of services including air suspension, custom chassis fabrication, sheetmetal fab, and much more. To better serve their customers, they also sell a variety of air-management equipment including airbags, A-arms, three- and four-link kits, notches, shock-relocation solutions, compressors, and valves. Give them a visit for reliable, trustworthy, genuine service.
