Shop View: Automotive Procare
1. Visual Appeal
Colin Chester became co-owner of Automotive Procare back in 2016, and later approached his brother-in-law, Alex Keehn, to become the second co-owner in 2017.
“Some of my strengths are his weaknesses and vice-versa, so we make a pretty good pair,” Keehn says.
In the few years they have worked together, Chester and Keehn have begun a remodeling process in their Rochester, Minn., shop.
One of the shop’s standouts is its large and beautifully painted murals on the walls of the reception area. They recently said goodbye to the bright orange motifs that covered the shop’s walls and brought in a locally known painter to update the design. Their new mural now includes an intricate birch tree theme.
2. Main Attraction
Although Chester and Keehn aren’t completely sure where the idea came from to bring in a real-life pond to the waiting room, they believe it was the brainchild of a previous owner (who built ponds as a side job) to grab customers’ attention. And that it does.
Both Chester and Keehn say it’s the shop’s main attraction that surprises and entertains new customers and kids alike.
The pond is home to two turtles, eight goldfish, and lots of baby koi.
The shop’s owners and employees have become attached to the pond, and it continues to set their shop apart.
3. Bright Ambiance
An added bonus of the shop’s staple water fixture, is the calming white noise it produces. The pond has a waterfall atop, emanating the sounds of water trickling throughout the space. Chester and Keehn say this gives some privacy to the large open room and helps to drown out other sounds.
Recently, they have decided to upgrade their shop’s lights to LED to help save cost and energy. They say that they are trying to be as green as possible, and avoid waste where they can.
The lighting adds to a bright and clean environment, which Chester and Keehn say their staff especially appreciates.
4. Interactive Space
Other upgrades Chester and Keehn brought to Automotive Procare are some waiting room displays that advertise the services they provide. This helps their shop be more customer-oriented, since a lot of the people coming into their shop aren't aware of the many things that they do.
The added information makes the front of their shop more interactive—so while waiting, customers also learn about Automotive Procare, what the shop can do, and how the business can possibly further help him or her.
SHOP: Automotive Procare LOCATION: Rochester, Minn. OWNERS: Colin Chester and Alex Keehn BAYS: 10 STAFF SIZE: 10 AVERAGE MONTHLY CAR COUNT: 400 ANNUAL REVENUE: $1.2M
