Illinois body shop owner Tim Paap seeks a site that might otherwise be perfect for a quick-lube oil change joint -- but not because he wants to open one.
Instead, he plans a second “concierge center,” to accompany the one he opened three years ago. Both facilities complement and contribute to the main site of Paap Auto Body, which next year hits the quarter-century mark.
Paap’s mini-sites build his business -- $3 million in revenue annually -- at a fraction of expansion costs.
He’s narrowed scouting to four cities near his headquarters in Mattoon and first “moon” in Charleston.
“I’ll add one, then another, one step at a time,” he said. “I’m still doing my research.”
That involves traffic studies, demographics -- median income, say -- and other elements. The state of Illinois offers publicly accessible, online information for how busy specific roads are, for instance. For areas’ income and wealth, he wants levels at or exceeding the median, and comparable with what he already does.
The Concierge is Always In
The first concierge center is a former Jiffy Lube site.The first satellite was at an abandoned Jiffy Lube, closed for a decade. This time, Paap will likely have to build one.
Construction takes six months, then he staffs up.
Satellite services include drop-off, drive-in estimating bays -- Paap filled floor openings with concrete for the first one -- bumper covers, PDR and PPF, and renting from his fleet of 11 Hyundais. Detailing is also possible and “the office is really inviting.”
Considering expansion, Paap at first tried buying the competition.
Then, instead of the $3 million a full new facility would’ve required to build, he put a tenth of that into renovating the satellite. It’s about 3,000 square feet, roughly 80 by 40 feet. The second will cost the same as the first to build.
“It’s hard to put more than $300,000 into a satellite,” he said.
After Location, 'Communication is Key'
A technician at work in Paap Auto Body's main location.
Charleston and Mattoon are about 10 miles apart. The main site is between the two towns; the first satellite is closer to Charleston. Customers can drop off and pick-up vehicles at either -- and any, once more are added.
If they’re renting a car -- and rentals are a profit center for Paap, and available to the general public as well, not just a service -- they drive in, get that initial look-see estimate, “and drive out the other door.”
He bought the fleet new and owns them outright.
“Good communication is key,” he said of the logistics of moving vehicles and staffers among the sites.
Whether detailing is on offer any given day, the space is available to groups -- high school sports, scout troops -- for carwash fundraisers. The interior heated open area is rentable for civic and corporate meetings.
“We’re just trying to create an extraordinary customer experience,” he said.
If Satellites are Moons, the Main Office is Paap’s Planet
Think of his Mattoon site as the sun and center of a solar system, or perhaps a planet, planning many moons.
Paap opened it in April 2001. It was a two-car garage at the time, 10 feet from his house.
“We blocked a main road to put in the frame rack,” he said.
Paap later built a larger site a grandiose 100 feet from home, and kept adding to it. Now it’s 12,000 square feet and pushing a dozen employees, when the second satellite opens. He does 25 to 30 cars monthly, to about $250,000 in revenue. Services include ADAS, alignment and glass.
He’s been in old cars some 35 years.
“Bought an old Mustang when I was about 13, started cutting it up, making stuff,” he said. “At 16, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.”
Paul Hughes