Young shop owner's passion fuels growth for Virginia shop

Jan. 16, 2017
At the age of 23 Katie is a full ownership partner with her father AJ Inge at Maaco Collision Repair and Auto Painting of Chesapeake, located in Virginia’s third-most populous city.

First to arrive and the last to leave, Katie Inge is on the job taking care of business at 7 o’clock in the morning.

At the age of 23 Katie is a full ownership partner with her father AJ Inge at Maaco Collision Repair and Auto Painting of Chesapeake, located in Virginia’s third-most populous city with more than 230,000 residents amid rapidly growing commercial and industrial development that continues to deliver increasing car counts.

At a Glance
Maaco Collision Repair and Auto Painting of Chesapeake
Chesapeake, Va.
Main location
AJ Inge and Katie Inge
Owners
2 (main shop & fleet center)
No. of locations
33
Years in business
17
No. of employees
0
No. of DRPs
13,000
Square footage of shop
8
No. of bays
3-4 days all-over paint; 2 days spot paint
Average cylce time
60
No. of vehicles per week
Axalta
Paint supplier
Chief
Frame machines used
Audatex
Estimating system used
www.maaco-chesapeake.com
Website

“I grew up in the shop and fell in love with it,” Katie says. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. “I’ve been working in the shop since I was 15 years old. Once I got out of high school, I started working here full time. The majority of my knowledge was obtained through my father, and also hands-on work. I also love cars, so my experience is passion-driven.”

Upon assuming official ownership status in 2015, she underwent additional training to master the details of back-end functions through the Charlotte Support Team at Maaco’s corporate headquarters.

Totally immersed in the operation, “I can sand a car, I can paint a car, I can do estimating – I can do it all,” says Katie. And she’s not bragging – just stating the facts.

Katie Inge, full ownership partner at Maaco Collision Repair and Auto Painting of Chesapeake

She has been honored throughout North America with Maaco’s prestigious Syl Young Award, which salutes newer owners who display “the same tenacity, high energy and enthusiasm for success” as Syl Young, who was among the first franchisees when Maaco was established in 1981.

“Syl coupled tremendous energy with a mechanical engineer’s problem-solving abilities to be one of the most celebrated operators in the early years of the chain,” Katie explains. “The award is given to those whose early achievements indicate they’ll be a major force in the chain for years to come.”

Having become a Maaco franchisee in 1983, AJ Inge is also among the early achievers. “It’s a good, reputable company and it’s been a part of our family for a long time.” An Inge cousin owns a franchise in Richmond, Va.

“My Dad has a lot of experience; he’s my go-to guy. “We have different ideas on some things, but we have the same goals,” says Katie. “I think the biggest thing is that he knows there’s someone who will carry on his legacy. He can relax. He is always there if I need him, but I’m sure he’s relieved to have someone he knows will run the centers well.”

In September AJ and Katie opened an adjacent Maaco of Chesapeake Fleet Solutions Center with tall overhead doors and an oversized paint booth to accommodate campers and every imaginable variety of object or vehicle, such as tractor-trailers, box trucks, buses, construction equipment, farm implements and mammoth industrial machinery.

The shop routinely refurbishes unique non-automotive components, covering amusement park rides, boats, cranes and whatever else is in need of fresh paint or a logo/color retrofit to match a commercial customer’s branding scheme.

AJ spearheaded the design and construction of the fleet-specific expansion structure, and the four added staff members are in the process of obtaining I-CAR Gold status.

“We’ve been getting slammed with work all the time,” Katie reports. “I had to expand. I was getting tired of working until midnight. We couldn’t get everything done in an 8-hour workday. The decision to build another facility allowed us to segment consumer vs. fleet vehicles and better service each type of customer.”

Hitting the concrete

Collision repairs account for half of the jobs; the remaining 50 percent involves cosmetic and custom refinishing, which Katie calls “retail work.” “A lot of this is first cars for teenagers – parents will fix it up for them, or people will have a car that they love and they want to make it look like new again.”

Currently the shop participates in no direct repair programs (DRPs), and Katie is in the process of recruiting insurers to assist in increasing the amount of collision repairs. “I never want to turn down business, that’s for sure,” she says, “but the retail paint jobs are where our bread and butter is.”

A large part of the business comes via word of mouth referrals. “Beyond that, I’d like to think that our work speaks for itself. We’re heavily involved in our community, too, so we sponsor local sports teams and advertise locally in addition to the national advertising generated by the Maaco Support Center. I think the recipe is working! We’ve been in business so long my Dad and I are now working on the vehicles of people’s children and grandchildren – there’s no better advertising than that!”

Having a prominent social media presence is another element, and “I go out hitting the concrete looking for work,” visiting potential accounts and distributing fliers touting the shop’s ability to deliver excellent eye-catching results.

“I love seeing the smiles on the customers’ faces. The car is ugly when they come in and then they’re smiling when they get it back,” she says.

“It starts at the front with customer service – greeting the customers and making them feel welcome. Our motto is ‘paint a car, make a friend.’ We’re able to execute the same top-notch, quality work that any dealership can do, but at half the price. And we have a hands-on approach to sales, so education is large part of what we do. We explain needed repairs to customers and even take them to the floor to show them exactly what’s needed for their vehicle.”

Adhering to Maaco’s established system-wide standards and ways-of-doing-things drives an efficient production flow as the methodology is clearly communicated to the crews in the bays.

“They have to ‘turn and burn’ those cars,” says Katie, noting that “I’m definitely a stickler with the steps and going through the procedures. What we sell upfront is the same as what is delivered – every person in the shop sticks to that. Quality is our biggest thing here.”

Supplies are provided through Maaco. Katie keeps a checklist to ensure that the shop is always fully stocked. Orders are placed on Monday per the comprehensive list, “we pay our bills on time,” and “materials are always locked-up.” She adds that “our distributor is right across the street, so if I need anything I can walk right over there.”

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