Shop View: Henn Automotive
Community Growth
When Mike and Susan Henn opened their shop, Henn Automotive, in 1999, it was 4,800 square feet. A year and a half into owning the business, they added four bays, two heavy duty alignment racks and a little over 3,000 square feet.
“Our town was growing and there was a need for it. There’s so much growth in this town, we knew it [the shop] would expand,” Mike says.
A Popular Pastime
The town of Waxhaw, N.C., is what Mike refers to as a “heavy horse community.” Because of this, the Henns saw an opportunity for an additional revenue stream with the amount of larger trucks in the area used to pull the horse trailers. The shop has two heavy-duty racks— an alignment and a heavy diesel/large vehicle capacity rack.
The shop also serves trailers. There are two full-time employees and one part-time employee who exclusively does trailer work. Each year, the shop services roughly 600 trailers.
Past to Present
One of the most commented-on areas of the shop are two framed photos in the lobby, Susan says. They are aerial photos of the shop, taken the year it was open and then 10 years later. The photos show the growth of the shop and the town. In the first photo, the shop was the only building visible in the middle of the woods; since then, the community has expanded quite a bit.
Hometown Feel
Susan designed the lobby to have a “hometown country theme.” The lobby is small, which was intentional. The Henns believe it makes customers feel more connected to the staff and makes it feel more homey.
“I’ve noticed people are taken aback when you try to do too much,” Susan says. “When it’s overdone, I think people think you might overcharge. It’s nice and middle-of-the road.”
SHOP: Henn Automotive LOCATION: Waxhaw, N.C. OWNER/S: Mike and Susan Henn SIZE: 8,000 square feet STAFF SIZE: 14 (including part-time workers) AVERAGE MONTHLY CAR COUNT: 415-420 ANNUAL REVENUE: $2 million ARO: $400
