Purich

Purich Inc. family owned and operated at the same location in Bogota, NJ since 1930, has a rich and dynamic history in the area as one of the areas leading automobile restylers. From its humble beginnings Adolf Purich (A. Purich & Co.) in a 1000 sq ft garage the 30's began with upholstery of horse drawn carriages and the crude automobiles a trade learned and perfected in Europe as harness makers and orthopedic shoemakers (cobblers), that expertise lent itself well to the motorcar market of the United States. The post war 1940's saw expansion of our facility to include an 800 sq ft addition with storage loft, business was booming along with the economy. The main staple of business was the restoration of the "older" cars of the teens and 20's, from wool carpets and headliners to complete interiors and convertible tops, these replacement items created a unique niche requiring skilled knowledgeable craftsman. The family had an abundance of craftsmen, with Stephen (Steve) Purich, Adolf (Dingy), Bill and Ann all having a part in the growth of the decade. The 1950's was a time for "drop top" engineering, cars were becoming faster and most people wanted a convertible top. The one thing most people did after purchasing their new car was put a set of custom seat covers over completely good upholstery! This required A. Purich & Co. to work 2 shifts and open up a second facility on Railroad Avenue in Ridgefield Park NJ, to keep up with the increased customer and dealership demands. The 2nd shop closed shortly after the seat cover fad went bye-bye. The 1960' saw the emergence of the muscle car as well as the "hot rod". These cars were awesome and needed work because of the rough wear and tear their owners put them through. Custom upholstery work was the mainstay of A. Purich & Co, people from all over the tri-state area heard of our reputation and were willing to wait months to get an appointment. Truck seats and side window curtains in heavy equipment were also beginning to take hold because of the increased local industrial development, area contractors needed quality, timely repairs on their equipment. The facility also saw the addition of Adolf (Ady) Zetelski a 1st cousin of the Purich's to the trim staff, his expertise was in all facets of the trim business, from sewing to pattern making, convertible tops to welding Ady could do it all, still can! The 1970's was a time of transition and expansion into a new era in the restyling for automobiles, with the government introducing a ban on convertibles in 1976 that market faded towards the end of the decade. In 1972 Ady Zetelski and Steve Purich became partners renaming the business Purich Auto Upholsterers Inc. with Ady taking charge of all day to day operations. 1976 was groundbreaking with a 2400 sq ft expansion to the shop bringing the total to its present 4200 sq ft, completion took 4 long years. The most significant move was the relationship Ady had with two fellow countryman of similar background, Mr. Ernest Gleisner and his close friend Mr. Heinz Prechter, these men introduced and influenced Ady to take on the installation of electric sunroofs to fill the void of the lost convertible market. In 1979 Ady and the now Purich Inc. signed on with Mr. Heinz Prechter as a Licensee of ASC, American Sunroof Company. The relationship has lasted until this very day. In 1981 the fourth generation of "Purich" entered the business, Paul Zetelski, son of Ady and a recent graduate of Montclair State University with a BS in Biology, entered as a limited partner. As things progressed Paul slowly learned the skills of the father and saw that the upholstery segment was waning and dedicated much of his time and effort into the sunroof segment of Purich Inc. Restyling packages were the wave of the mid to late 80's including Simulated Convertibles, Half and Quarter top kits, chrome accessories, Classic grilles and Spares, some are still popular today. The 1990's through the early and mid 2000's have seen the business come full circle delving back into the upholstery market, with leather interior kits, the re-emergence of the convertible top and the steady and versatile growth of the electric sunroof market into the SUV and truck sector. All told Purich Inc. in its 84th year of operation beginning 2014 remains poised to provide quality products and services for our customers past, present and future. For a recent update, Ady has taken a consulting role in the business since November 2005, and will remain in that capacity with Paul now the sole owner of the business.