SHOP: Superior Service Center LOCATION: Eagan, Minn. OWNER: Dan Sjolseth
SIZE: 11,000 square feet (collision only) STAFF: 23 (11 techs, 2 service writers, 5 admin, 2 bookkeepers, 2 maintenance workers, 1 marketing) ANNUAL REVENUE: $3.2 million (collision only)
1) In 2001, Dan Sjolseth received word that his Eagan, Minn., shop, Superior Service Center, would be forced out of its longstanding home due to area development.
It took six years for Sjolseth to find a new location. It wasn’t on a main road, like his old shop, and it wasn’t the shop he’d had built specifically for his business. But it produced quick results: Right after the move, his shop doubled its number of assessments. As a result, Sjolseth had to find ways to become more efficient. A part of that is the “eagles nest,” his office nestled at the top of the building.
The office has two windows—one that overlooks the outside, letting in natural light, and one that overlooks the 21-stall shop floor. Sjolseth can almost always find the person he’s looking for from his perch overlooking the brightly lit shop.
2) The telephone on his desk is connected to an intercom system that sounds in the bays. Between the intercom system, the window, and telephones on the shop floor, Sjolseth can easily communicate with technicians from his office without having to run up and down the stairs.
3) On the other side of the office sits a long conference table, where technicians and estimators can have staff meetings or meet with trainers. Though Sjolseth says he spends most of his time in the shop, the office offers him a quiet area where he can meet with insurance agents or other business partners when needed.
4) The television above the conference table is set up to connect to a laptop at any time for interactive presentations or demonstrations, or staff brainstorming sessions with his team.
