ADN SPRING 2022 WEB

■ ENTER THE NEXT
GENERATION
From an early age, Bill’s son Robert
(Bob) Phillips was exposed to his father’s
business philosophies and guiding principles,
and remembers Bill’s mantra, “do
right by the industry, do right by the employees,
and do right by the customers”.
Bob started working for P&S in 1980 —
right out of high school — assisting with
the San Francisco route while attending
college. Bob recalls how much he enjoyed
that job, making sales stops across the city
in a cargo van, slinging “fivers” and mucking
it up with the customers. In fact, upon
graduating, he stayed on full-time at P&S.
Bill’s son Dave Phillips also began
working part-time in 1980, running sales
routes in specific cities that were near the
University of California at Davis, where
he was studying chemistry and biology.
Dave also recalls earlier memories, helping
his dad, and reminisces, “I remember
that Dad always liked his customers, and
he had great relationships with them.
Circa 1978, P&S original partners (from left) Bill Phillips, Walter Rosen,
and Art Stuber in front of the P&S Sales building in San Francisco.
Funny, in those days, the owners all wore
suits to deliver detail chemicals and supplies!
But that was part of the professionality
of the company.”
Dave was able to bring his education in
chemistry to bear when he started working
at the blending facility in 1986 to help out
with new formulations, developing P&S’s
line of products for the increasingly prevalent
clearcoat finishes, including Ultracoat
Polish, Haze Away, and Buff Tone.
As the 1980s progressed, it became
increasingly apparent to Bob and Dave
that P&S Sales was in need of some major
changes. Bill was also ready, both personally
and in the company for such change.
Dave saw the need to bring control of
manufacturing back into the company,
thus ensuring consistency, quality control,
and close relationship with suppliers of
raw materials. This would also allow more
cutting-edge formulations and allow P&S
control over its own destiny.
Dave said to Bob, “Well, we can do this,”
and they sat down one evening in their
shared apartment and ironed out a business
plan to take P&S in a new direction. Dave
typed it out on his original Mac computer,
and they brought it over to Bill’s house. Bob
recalls that Bill looked over the proposal,
thought about it for an hour, and said, “Let’s
do it.” Bob fondly remembers his father’s
ability to make large decisions without fear.
■ A COMPANY REBORN
In February 1990, P&S moved its facilities
across the San Francisco Bay to a
new industrial park in Hayward, which
was chosen because of a scarcity of available
buildings in San Francisco and elsewhere.
Production was brought back inhouse,
and Bob and Dave spent almost
two years designing, building, equipping,
and supplying with raw materials, a totally
new chemical manufacturing facility in a
23,000-square-foot warehouse.
The Hayward deal turned out to be a
great move, as the landlord was generous
with the necessary tenant improvements,
VOL. 7, NO.1 • SPRING 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 5