At thirteen years of age, armed with a limited tool supply and a small shop on east Burnside in Portland, Tom Heitzman began painting and repairing cars. In 1937, after 9 years of repairing vehicles, the young entrepeneur bought his first piece of land in Hillsboro. The booming establishment remained there for a number of years until he invested in another property in Beaverton, a bold move consid
ering the town was primarily farmland at the time. Luckily, his daring relocation paid off. Throughout the next seventy years, Beaverton would witness immense changes, but Heitzman Body & Paint would continuously remain a central part of such a promising city. In 1971, Tom Heitzman died of a massive heart attack at age 56, and his only child was given control of the company. Thirty seven years later, Barbara Heitzman-Benjamin still remains the company CEO. Barbara's daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Rocky Thomson, also work for the company. Lisa, who joined the company in 1986, is now the secretary treasurer. Her Husband, Rocky, started at Heitzman's in 1974 as a car detailer and is now the company's general manager. Today, a picture of Tom still hangs on the wall in the office for all to see. His personal ethics, dedication to his customers and employees, strong business sense, and passion for repairing vehicles continue to shine through the business he spent his life creating. At Heitzman's, we stand by the promise Tom Heitzman envisioned in 1937: quality repairs, inexpensive prices, safe work environment, and superior customer service.
