Shop Name: Turbo Tim's Anything Automotive
Owner(s): Tim Suggs & Rachel Grewell
Location (city, state): Shop 1: Minneapolis, Minnesota Shop 2: St. Paul, Minnesota
Staff Size: 24
Shop Size (in square feet): Minneapolis: 16,000, St. Paul: 19,000
Number of bays: Minneapolis: 20, St. Paul: 12
Average Monthly Car Count: 525
Annual Revenue ($): 3.93 Million
“Dude, I love cats. They're just awesome,” says Tim Suggs.
From the shop’s logo down to the shop floor, cats are an integral part of Turbo Tim’s Anything Automotive.
“Obviously, they're a huge part of our branding,” Suggs says, mentioning that his two shops—one in St. Paul and one in Minneapolis—have 10 cats in tow.
‘We are Total Do-It-Yourselfers’
Suggs and wife, Rachel Grewell, who co-owns the shop, wanted decor complementary to their personalities. From landscaping and furnishing to canvases and murals on the walls, the pair have assembled the shop in their image. There’s even a large saltwater aquarium, chickens, and vegetable garden. Upcycled furniture comprises the waiting room, which houses a shelf of Turbo Tim’s t-shirts featuring cheeky humor reflective of the owners’ wit.
“We just like art and being different. I remember when I first open my shop, I knew that I had to be like everybody else to succeed. And then once we started getting some success, I knew that I could finally be myself and kind of bring out some of our own uniqueness,” says Suggs.
One of its most unique works of art is behind the service counter. It’s a painting of the Justice League featuring the faces of Turbo Tim’s employees. It was painted by a past employee and finished by Grewell.
A Spacious Shop
En route to the shop floor, there are three service writer desks, though Suggs admits they have more writers than desks—an error he fixed at his new St. Paul location. The shop has a gritty, industrial workhouse feel with its cinder block walls and concrete floors. It’s spacious, though, with pops of color and a 20-bay work area complete with 19 hoists and an alignment rack set along the perimeter, leaving technicians ample space to work and move.
“It’s just a big shop,” says Suggs, adding that it used to be a furniture factory. “We do work on anything. I mean, we love working on Euros, domestics, Asians, and occasional exotic. We have decided, though, we don't work on anything 2000 or older.”
Expansion
Since opening the new St. Paul, Minnesota, location during the summer, Suggs and Grewell again have their eyes set on the next location.
“I have a goal of five shops by 2025. So, we're actually looking at our third shop soon, too,” Suggs says.
