SHOP: Georgica Services Ltd. LOCATION: East Hampton, N.Y. OWNER: Jim Shelly SHOP SIZE: 2,750 square feet
STAFF SIZE: 8(3 full-time technicians, 1 helper, 1 service manager, 1 office manager, 1 owner, and 1 senior advisor) AVERAGE MONTHLY CAR COUNT: 80–100 ANNUAL REVENUE: $1.4 million
1) The Building Prior to becoming Georgica Services Ltd., the space was formerly used as a medical office building. Shelly was able to clean up the place and turn it into an auto repair shop that specializes in electrical and emissions diagnostics and repair. Since the shop was going to have two large doors, the roof on the previous building was raised to roughly 14 feet. “My shop is my most important marketing tool,” Shelly says. “No one hesitates to leave their car with us, regardless of value.”
2) The Shop Floor When Shelly was laying out the floor plan for his shop, he used his backyard to stage it. Since his backyard is bigger than the size of the shop, he was able to mimic driving in and out of spaces to see how many cars could fit into the shop. He was also able to gauge how many lifts would fit and where they should go to best maximize space in the renovated facility. Six cars fit in the shop and there are a total of three lifts, one for each technician. Because of the pre-existing layout of the building, Shelly decided to have two overhead doors (one is 14 feet by 10 feet, and the other is 14 feet by 14 feet) on the long side of the building and two service bays.
3) The Basement The floor above the 2,700-square-foot basement initially wasn’t made to handle the weight of vehicles, so it had to be reinforced. The basement is home to a large portion of the shop’s metal working equipment, saws, and more.
4) Tools & Equipment Although the shop doesn’t have a lobby, Shelly’s customers still stop by during the summer to hang out and see what’s currently in shop. The shop has a sandblast booth for small parts and scanners. Scanners are the most-used tools in the shop.
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