Marine canvas and upholstery business seamlessly transitions to a busy season
The rattle of the sewing machine fills the air, and there are other sounds, too, that are constant throughout the day at Cesar Marine Canvas & Upholstery.
The work is year-round, but with the boating season getting closer, their busy schedule will be getting even busier, with longer hours on Sundays added to the schedule.
It’s the new awning outside 24 Harbor St. that really gives the location close to the waterfront away, alerting customers and passers-by to what’s been undiscovered inside the last four years.
Owner Julio Cesar Abreu grew up in the Dominican Republic before moving to the U.S. when he was 10. In his early 20s he started working on signs before focusing more on welding for 20 years before slowly merging into the upholstery business.
Boat upholstery and awnings
After years of welding, laying on the floor and enduring back pain and sore eyes, it was time for a transition. He also has a shop in Mansfield, but added the new location at Harbor Street to be closer to the water. He's happy working with boats and awnings.
At Cesar Marine, they specialize in sea clear hard acrylic windows, Bimini tops, mooring covers, interior and exterior boat cushions, enclosures for restaurants and awnings both commercial and residential.
"We do a lot so that seems to keep us busy between the awnings, the glasswork for the boats and the upholstery," he said.
Transition to new generation
It took a few tries for him to find someone who was willing to take him in to learn the business and give him a job.
When Ray Tkacs said gave him a chance and said yes to having him come into his auto and marine upholstery business in East Providence, he started going every Saturday and then every day after work and knew what he wanted to do.
Abreu said the older generation would put all their effort into their work, but it's not the same anymore.
Keeping the upholstery trade going
"My buddy, Ray, who has done it all his life, just went out the door," he said. "All the old-timers are gone, and the new kids don't want to work."
While Tkacs recently closed his business that was founded in 1911, he can always call him for advice when he needs it.
“This is not something you can learn on the Internet,” Abreu said. “It’s a whole different animal. There’s a lot to be known about it.”
Boating customers from Martha's Vineyard to Newport
With customers from Martha's Vineyard to Newport, a lot of different marinas provide work to Cesar Marine.
"It's been quite a ride for a long time," he said. "In a sick way, I enjoy it, I guess because everything is different. It's the same, but it's not. You're always working on different projects with the boats and all kinds of different things, and a lot of it is a challenge. when you see it done and it looks good, it gives you satisfaction."
He gets up every day and drives to work from their home in Pawtucket and said the work keeps his mind occupied.
If a customer needs a welder, he refers customers to a friend who is a welder and will do the same for other business owners.
He'll get calls from suppliers of other businesses that are closing and will buy some of what's left behind.
Praise for his team
Longtime employee Justin Botelho does most of the glasswork and design work, Anthony Suarez works on the upholstery with Abreu and Abreu's his wife, Destiny, marks and tags all their work for their records and sees that everything is running smoothly.
Abreu credits teamwork and the friendships that have been built with Botelho and Suarez and their long-time return customers.
Botelho has followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Tom Coutts, who was in the business for 50 years before moving to Florida and is back in business down there. He can call his grandfather with any questions.
Botelho needed a job when he was about 17, and since his grandparents had started a canvas shop in the same location, he started working for them. At the time, he hated it, but he grew out of that. After working for them for 10 years, he started feeling he was really good at it.
When he needed a change, he went to work for a company in Somerset but met Abreu and decided to take him up on his job offer. He also lives about five minutes down the road. He said he enjoys a lot of what they do, some more than others, but has his favorites particularly when it comes to design work.
“I like designing something from scratch," he said. “This has always been something I’m really good at.”
At the same time, a lot of customers will ask him to copy what they bring in because it fits and they will because it will save a trip to the boat and be less expensive for the customer.
They will go out to boats on the water about 50 percent of the time, working around the New England weather, and sometimes can work under the shrink wrap.
“Once the boats start to go in the water, we’re going to be at boats every day,” he said.
Cesar Marine Canvas & Upholstery can be reached by email at cesarsignworks@gmail.com or by calling 774-328-9327.
Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kgallreporter. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Cesar Marine Canvas & Upholstery preparing for boating season
