The Thriving Five

Jan. 1, 2020
Herb’s Paint and Body
Texas’ Walne family expands on their founding father’s business techniques. 
SnapshopShop name: Herb’s Paint and BodyLocations: Five shops located in Dallas and its suburbsFounded: 1956Management
Alan Walne, president; 
Tom Dance (Herb’s #1); 
Paul Johnson (Herb’s #2); 
Jody Rowell and Tom Collins, 
co-shop managers (Herb’s #3); 
Mark McDonald (Herb’s #4); 
Jimmy Don Burris (Herb’s #5). 
In case you were wondering about the origin of Texas’ name after spending a few days in the state at NACE 2002, the Texas State Historical Association has an answer. The name Texas, or Tejas, was the Spanish pronunciation of a Caddo Indian word sometimes translated to mean “friends” or “allies,” according to the association. True or not, “friends” or “allies,” are both ways to describe how the five shops that make up Herb’s Paint and Body relate with each other and the community. Alan Walne, whose family is the majority owner of the shops, gives us a glimpse into Herb’s Paint and Body stores as they have evolved since the 1950s. “Dad was the original ‘Herb’ in Herb’s Auto Body,” Alan says of his father. In 1956, Herb started out in Lake Highlands, a suburb northeast of Dallas, with a gas station, a large mechanical shop and a drive-thru car wash. It was a Humble brand station that Herb purchased, and that name was later changed by Exxon Corp. Exxon became interested in the location and bought out the station—and then later the car wash—in the late 1960s. With the money he earned from the sale, Herb opened a new facility off of Garland Road in Dallas. “He wanted to be able to do anything anyone wanted done to their cars,” Alan says of the new business. In addition to that, he drummed up business by doing work for the rental car agencies at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, eventually leading him to build yet another shop on I-35. Meanwhile, Alan was preparing himself for the business world and graduating from Texas Tech University with a degree in finance in 1975. By that time, a third shop located in Richardson was in the works, and Alan was gearing up to work in the family business. Not long after Alan joined full-time, Herb established a management company for the three shops, which took effect in 1980. The family still uses the company today. “We take care of technicians, banking, insurance, marketing, and the guys at the shop worry about getting the cars ready,” Alan says. “The guys are left to run their businesses.” Each shop pays a fee to the management company to cover expenses, and the company takes care of the paperwork that can overwhelm shops if left unchecked. Herb spent more than 30 years building a business and livelihood to pass on to his children. He passed away in 1986 at age 58, from lung cancer. He did not have a chance to see how his family would later contribute to the organization. But the business structure he built has endured under the guidance of his son, and has continued to thrive. Nine years after he passed away, the collection of Herb’s shops expanded again with shop number four in Plano. A fifth Herb’s Paint and Body made its 2002 debut in rapidly expanding Frisco. “Any time you lose the center of an organization, it’s difficult,” Alan says of his father’s death. “It’s more of a family-type situation,” he says of the way the shops are still run. “Even though they’re not blood, they’re family.” Each shop’s manager is handpicked for the job. “They’re normally people who work for us and show themselves to be above the cut,” he says. 
While this approach has worked for the company, Alan says they are not expanding any more than they are comfortable with. “We’ve never felt like we needed to be the biggest,” he says. “If there’s markets we need to be in, we’re gonna be in those markets.” 
That’s not to say that the shops themselves aren’t expanding. The Richardson and Plano stores both doubled in size about two to three years after they opened. They now average about 24,000 sq. ft. each. The Frisco store is about 12,000 sq. ft., and Alan expects to add 8,000 sq. ft. as business increases. In addition to running the shops, Alan is also a city council member, helping to serve and shape the community (see sidebar for more information).If hailstorms are an indication of good luck, Herb’s should have plenty, as there was one before the Frisco shop opened and another shortly after the grand opening.

About the Author

Lisa Greenberg

Prior to joining ABRN, Lisa served as an associate and later editor of a trade magazine covering the greenhouse industry. During her tenure there she wrote everything from news stories to feature articles that were designed to help greenhouse growers increase their business' profitability. She also traveled extensively in an effort to better understand the greenhouse industry. As editor, she spearheaded a redesign and refocusing of editorial content. Lisa began her journalism career by earning a journalism degree from Eastern Illinois University where she worked as a reporter for the Daily Eastern News.

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