Before 2020, Chris Tabieros was an automotive collision technician for a decade, stuck in a repetitive cycle: long, hard, noisy hours in clouds of dust and paint fumes. When he left that job four years ago, he never imagined launching his own auto detailing business, Sacramento Car Detailing, would set him on a course to help preserve a piece of American history.

From July 7–14, Tabieros was selected as one of about three dozen detailers to restore, maintain and preserve the first presidential jet Air Force One. This prestigious aircraft served U.S. Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon, as well as international dignitaries like Nikita Khrushchev and Henry Kissinger.

When Tabieros first entered the detailing industry, he made the move to expand his horizons. “Entrepreneurship sparked something in me,” he says, “and I wanted to do something like that because it made me branch out.”

Still, he never would’ve thought it would lead to a project like this one.

The Boeing VC-137B, known as Special Air Missions 970, resides at Seattle’s Museum of Flight, on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force. This high-speed jet transport was a “flying Oval Office with a modified interior and sophisticated communication equipment,” secretly outfitted as a spy plane by the CIA, according to the museum website.

(Take the Matterport 3D Tour here.)

During the museum tours in Seattle, Tabieros learned about various planes and met volunteers, some of whom were pilots. 

“Listening to the stories of what they have gone through brought a whole new perspective on life, business and the reason why we all come together to preserve these relics every year,” he says. “The work we do only helps shine a light to those who served our country.”

Around 2003, Renny Doyle, the visionary behind Detailing Success, was asked by a Bush administration official to gather a team of detailers to clean and restore the jet’s deteriorating paint and aluminum finish. In the years to follow, Doyle opened the project to budding and experienced detailers who completed his advanced training program. Now, the annual event brings specialized professionals from around the world to preserve historic aircraft.

For Tabieros, this marks his second consecutive year on the detailing team for this Air Force One jet. Tabieros was chosen by Doyle for his skill and respect for the craft.

“This project is special, and we look for professionals in our industry that aren’t only professional but respect the importance of history we are preserving,” says Doyle, who also founded The Detail Mafia, a select group of top-tier detailers trained by him. “Chris fits the description of our perfect technician. His ability is second to none, yet his patience and appreciation for the work we are doing are both primary reasons this young entrepreneur has been selected for this prestigious project.”

The Detail Mafia, which has about 180 members, has been pivotal in helping Tabieros and his business grow, he says, through meet-ups, support and special events.

“Our businesses are built around relationships,” Tabieros says. “And being with this group, we’re not only being selected because we’re good at detailing. … Whenever we apply, our board looks into us to see: Are you involved in your community? Are you involved in the group? Are you helping others? Are you doing your part?”

Tabieros is an active member of the Rancho Cordova Area Chamber of Commerce. On the Chamber’s ambassador team, he ensures members have a resource, volunteering at chamber events and representing the local business community at events. 

According to Diann H. Rogers, the Chamber’s president and CEO, this level of involvement demonstrates “his commitment to giving back and contributing to the community supporting him.”

Tabieros graduated from the Chamber’s most recent Leadership Rancho Cordova, a community leader development program. This past year, he received the 2023 Rising Star award, given to a young business showing great promise. He also completed the Chamber’s Minority Business Assistance and Recovery Kickstart Program earlier this year.

“Chris Tabieros is the quintessential entrepreneur, and a successful one at that,” Rogers says. “We are proud that he chose the Rancho Cordova Area Chamber as one of his options for growing and developing his business.”

His auto detailing work was initially just a side job for supplemental income. Last August, he got into a shop. Tabieros understands the care involved in the work he does — the fact that customers entrust him with one of their biggest investments. Preservation can’t exist without honor.

Working on the SAM-970 Air Force One has allowed Tabieros to honor both American history and his own family legacy. With several family members and friends having served in the military, this project holds a special significance. He tells them about his detailing assignment, shows pictures and shares videos.

“And they’re like, ‘How did you get that job? I can’t believe you even went on top of that plane and you went in it and you saw this,’” he says. 

A neighbor also shared his personal connection to this specific Air Force One jet. Tabieros recalls him saying, “‘Hey, I’ve actually been on that plane. I fueled it whenever it came down to Sacramento back then. I remember when it came and I was like, wow.’”

Tabieros says his relatives and friends respond like this, sharing details about their own histories, things they’ve experienced in their pasts he never would’ve known.  

“And listening to their stories, I’m just like —” he says, trailing off. “I appreciate a whole bunch more what they actually had to sacrifice.”

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