They've Got What It Takes

Earlier this year, Motor Age invited readers to tell us about their shops, about their successes and the stories behind why they stay in this business. We knew we were going to see some amazing operations, and we did. The quality of the shops entering was high, and competition was stiff.
All of the entries we received told us about shop owners that exemplify entrepreneurial spirit, determination, creativity and technical and people skills, as well as a whole range of other talents and abilities.

In this special issue, you will read about Tim and Barb White, California Auto Repair & Smog in Redding, CA, who took advantage of Tim's "bad luck" in losing his job and decided to do something different. Gradually, methodically, they built a successful business for themselves.

You'll also hear about Larry and Laurie Moore, owners of Larry's AutoWorks, Mountain View, CA. They were doing just fine, except for the small detail that they weren't profitable. Despite the fact that Larry had a college education in business and they had lots of customers, there was something missing. The husband and wife team rededicated themselves to learning through Automotive Management Institute courses and put productivity systems in place in every aspect of their business. The profits followed.

Mike Brewster of Gil's Garage, Burnt Hills, NY, attributes his success to the business' dedication to its workers. He offers life, health and dental insurance along with a 401K plan, profit sharing and paid training and test time. Monthly staff meetings address how to improve the business and any issues employees might have in their day-to-day work lives.

There are seven more shops profiled here. All have unique stories to tell: How they got into the business; what they did to sustain themselves in those first few years; and what sacrifices they had to make.

Their stories are inspirational, stimulating and unique. They demonstrate how some people are never satisfied with being just average, but need to excel at what they do. They illustrate extraordinary care of employees, customers and family. They show that what shouldn't be possible can come to pass with vision and determination.

We hope you enjoy reading about these shops. We certainly did. There is no doubt in our minds that these businesses deserve to be called Top Shops. Through the stories of your peers, perhaps you will act on some of the ideas presented here to bring greater success and profitability to your shops, benefiting both your employees and your families.

More importantly, we hope that you find the inspiration to tell us about your operation. These stories are only the beginning of a new feature, "Shop Profiles," that will debut in 2007 in Motor Age. We encourage you to contact us and tell us how you've made your operation a winner. We'd like to consider profiling your shop.

Thanks to all of the shops who entered. Starting in 2007, we're going to tell the rest of the stories, and we hope to have the chance to tell everyone about yours, too.

The Editors of Motor Age