General Information

Covered below are the following topics that may be important to an automotive professional considering a career change. 

1. Business philosophy

2. Information Technologies

3. Equipment list

4. Community

5. Industry Partners

Business Philosophy

I started taking management classes in the late 80’s and early 90’s with the likes of Dave Doremus through ASA, followed by a host of other trainers who were (and some still are) making the circuit through the industry. Although the information was not always well taylored for rural markets, these guys and their training absolutely saved our business and allowed us to reach our full potential.  

Those colleagues and contacts made over the years have been invaluable and continue today.

I have been AMI graduate for 15 years, a Accredited Master Automotive Manager for several years. I am also a graduate of Leadership 2.0 from Northwoods University. 

Our service manager Mike feeley is another AMI graduate.

The “word” in the early 90’s in the management classes was to “get equipped or get out”. As only those who were properly trained and equipped would last another 10 years. That did not play out exactly as described and although we invested heavily through those years(and still do) in equipment, training and information. Some of those that did not, seemed to have squeaked through and continue to be uneducated competitors in the marketplace today.

None the less we believe we are one of the best equipped, educated and informed shops in Northern Michigan. We are big believers in technology and information. I am sure that by embracing technology, we have gained a clear advantage over many of our competitors.

Our service customers come to us because we can fix the car right the first time and offer longer warranties than anyone else around and we primarily compete with the dealers for customers.

Our quick lube customers come to us because of speed, quality and thoroughness of our service. We have become a tire destination in Kalkaska and customers know us for fair prices, quality service and great warranties.

We use MAP standards and inspection forms for many common services. Many technicians are not familiar with MAP, more information can be found here http://www.motorist.org/ . Mitchell and Alldata have Map Standards built in if you chose to use them.

We tend to be much more thorough than many shops I am familiar with and tend to use process's and standardized procedures to a much greater degree. We promote scheduled maintenance and regular vehicle inspections. We don’t sell services we don’t believe in.

We don’t charge customers for misdiagnosis or bury it in some other charge. We do charge for continued diagnosis when the best approach was to return the car to the customer for further driving in the case of intermittent problems or special circumstances.

We don't charge for repairs that don't fix the problem. We do charge for repairs that are part of a systematic industry approved approach to diagnosis with proper communication with the customer.

We tend to follow industry and manufacturers standards to a higher degree than most facilities we are familiar with. We are constantly on guard for “profit alligators” especially from non-customers (folks who only use our services because “their mechanic” doesn’t offer the service or have the equipment)

We are customer focused but leave the responsibility for problem where it belongs, with the customer. (unless we have made an obvious or avoidable mistake that would not be expected from a professional auto repair) . 

We do our best to offer choices and offer varying warranties when possible.

We do a lot of fleet work with local fleets as well as a national fleet program set up by Midas.

Our current sales mix is 30%brakes, 20% oil, 15% tires, 10% steering/suspension and 25% other. Exhaust makes up less than 5% of sales. 20% of our total sales are fleet sales and we expect that to increase.

We have a higher customer retention requirement than shops in larger more transient markets. We have never been taken to court, ever. We have been to court twice chasing bad checks and turned a few others over to the Sheriff's department. We seldom have to chase money. We have two complaints with the BAR, ever. Both were decided in our favor with no further action on our part.

That's just a small list of what I can think of at the moment. Think about whats important to you and ask. I will be straight with you.

Information Technologies
I was fortunate in the early days to make a connection with computers, data and information and it has served us well. We put our first computer network in the business in 1988. The were Burroughs machines with 16mb hard drives and 128 and 256k system memory. They used 8" floppy discs.

We put our first shop management system in 1991, Autoshop Writer. We switched to Vast in 97 when we took on Midas. We converted to Rowriter in 04 in the service facilities and converted the quick lube to RoWriter Express in 2011.

It was around 91 that we started finding value using pattern failure data to fix cars. They were books at that time with names like Silver Bullets and then someone produced a series with yellow covers that were full of common problems based on system. That was really the beginning of targeted, real time training in this industry. We had switched in 92 from Import only service to include Domestics service as well. These books were a life saver on those bastardized domestic systems of the eighties.

The next evolution were the books from Identifix where you had pattern failure descriptions with code numbers and you would call on the phone and hear descriptions of potential fixes or get a fax. Dial up came along around the same time and thought we were in heaven. Sometime in the late 90's when high speed was finally common enough to be affordable, pattern failure database's started looking something like we have today and we grabbed all we could.

We started with IATN sometime around 98 and the Identifix web based product as soon as it hit the market.

We started connecting to every online resource we could find and it wasn't hard as the web was exploding through those years. We don't have the luxury of specialization in our market. We found ourselves challenged to service a wide variety of newer vehicles with newer systems. We needed a resource that would provided targeted real time training on the vehicles and systems that came into the shop everyday.

The fleet business keeps us involved with 2- 3 year old vehicles regularly and we found ourselves being asked to service light truck diesels and acquired the tooling necessary.

We expanded our OE scan tools to 9 or more and became the guys that could get things fixed. I found we are only as smart and as successful at getting vehicles fixed profitably as the information, training and tooling we have available.

Current Information Memberships
Listed below are the primary information and training resources in the shop:

Mitchell, AllData, Identifix, Diagnation, Diag.net, Google, Youtube, Raytheon Professional Automotive Training Online Subscription

Equipment List
The following represents a partial list of the equipment we have in the shop. It does not include general or specialty hand tools or equipment that costs less than 1k on average
Hoists
10 service hoists total,

2 twin post above ground, one 8k, one 12k

3 twin post in ground two 10k, one 16k

2 single post in ground chassis lift 8k

2 single post in ground ramp drive-on's 8k

1 four post ramp drive on 15k

Plus two flush mount 6k tire rotation hoists in each quick lube lane
Diagnostic tools
Tech II, GM, Saab, Isuzu cards

NGS, Ford and Mazda cards

Chrysler Drb 3

Master Tech, domestic, Import, Toyota and Honda OE

Carmen Scan, Kia, Hyundia OE

Snap on Zeus, import, domestic and Euro, including intelligent diagnostics

VagCom Pro Vw/Audi

ATS EScan Elite,  Snap On 4 channel labscope

Cardaq Plus 3, Autel IM608 Pro

Alignment
Hunter Hawkeye Elite with Hunter 14,000lb Integrated scissor lift

Tire Equipment
Snap On BFH800 Wheel Balancer

Hunter RoadForce Elite Balancer

Hunter TCA34s Leverless Tire Changer

Coats 70x-efl Tire Changer

Complete Haweka Quick Plate and adapter system
Brake equipment
2 Procut PFM 9.0 Brake Lathes

1 Ammco 3000 with HD truck adapters

2 Older drum brake lathes
Air Supply
Atlas Copco rotary screw 10hp

2 other compressors for BU
Computer network
12 workstation/server network, Windows 10

RoWriter 2.63, Activant, Central Service and Rotouch DVI

Customer Computer Center/Workstation

S6 and Iphone in service and quicklube for pictures, movies, Rotouch

Five 128gb 9.7" Ipad's for DVI

Wi-fi Throughout

Quick Lube
8 Oils on overhead reels

Anti-Freeze and Washer Solvent on overhead reels

Atf on overhead reels

Bulk AF and WS tanks

3k Gallons Waste Oil storage

Entire Basement enclosed in secondary containment

Bay length 43'

Pit Length 30'

Double rolling trays in both pits

Industrial "walk on" pit covers

Flush mount in-floor tire rotation hoists, both lanes

Power grease system, both lanes

Coolant exchanger

Transmission Fluid exchanger
Misc.
Huth pipe bender

Glass Bead Cabinet

Air operated Shop press

Overhead Oil and ATF reels in service bays

134a Reclaimer

1234yf reclaimer

Community

Cathy and I are firm believers that the automotive service industry would do well to get behind a charitable cause that supports community organizations in their own towns. Kalkaska Midas has chosen to support the following:

Icebowl

2019 marked our 12th annual Ice Bowl disc golf tournament to support our local Meals on Wheels program through our local senior center. Ice Bowls ( http://icebowlhq.com ) are a series of nationwide fundraising events that support local food pantries and other food related resources. We rank consistently in the top twenty in dollars raised for Ice bowl events, nationwide . 

TiresForToddlers

We have an ongoing program with MDHHS to supply new sets of new tires to local families with young children at no cost to those families. We have committed to provide up to 10 sets of tires per year to families that would otherwise be driving on dangerous tires through northern michigan winters.  The local folks at Michigan Department of Health and Human Services deserves much credit for assisting in finding deserving families.

Let's Fund Kalkaska,  local community group financial support

Lets Fund Kalkaska is a new comunity suport initiative in partnership with our corporate partner,  Speedee Oil Change. Speedee is allowing us to hand out new customer certificates. Once redemed by a new customer, Speedee will send $50 to a local comunity grouip partner, for each certificate redemed, up to a varying limit. This program is new for 2019, and we hope to see a lot of dollars flowing from elsewhere into Kalkaska, as a result. 

Community Blood Drives

Six times a year we partner with local community groups on blood drives for our local blood bank, Michigan Blood. The group provides the donors and a cordinator for the drive, and upon successful completion of a drive, Midas sends a check for $500 to that group. This year we are enhancing that opportunity by providing Let's Fund Kalkaska certificates to all donors, allowing them to earn an additional $500.

Our business would not exist without our communities support. It is our privelege to give back and actively participate in the solution. 

Industry Partners
I am sure not enough credit is given to our industry partners as it should. Even a single store owner who works without staff has important partners in their business. Ours have been critical in our success and I don't thank them often enough (although I definitely do thank them and believe it to be important to do so). The more time I spent writing this page the more I realized just how important these folks are and how much better my life is for taking the time to get involved with them on more than just a customer/supplier basis. THANK YOU to each and everyone!

Midas
Midas, along with many automotive service franchise's, appear to be little understood in many segments of the automotive service industry, from my perspective.

It's really a company made up of several hundred independent business people trying to create and manage a standardized process with the help of Midas Corporate. Many are single store owners and less have more than one store. I have worked with these folks, a lot! At least the ones that are willing to volunteer their time for the benefit of the system.

These are honest, smart, hardworking individuals and teams of individuals coming together under one umbrella to grow their business and make them better. I am sure everyone has a story about Midas or some other national chain that paints them negatively. You are just going to have to take my word for it when I tell you Midas is no worse than comparable dealers and independents from a percentage basis and in many cases much better.

The guys I know (both owners and corporate) are tops in the industry and by far some of the smartest business people and dedicated corporate people I know. I like hanging around them. They challenge me, make me smarter and make my business stronger.

The Midas brand continues to be the strongest, most iconic brand in the Automotive aftermarket, especially in small markets. No other national brand would make sense for Kalkaska. We regularly have folks, traveling or new to the area, that we get first chance at because of the Midas brand.

If the question is why Midas, the answer is in these previous statements.

Speedee Oil Change

In 2012 we became a Speedee Oil Change partner. Speedee has locations throughout the south, east and west coasts of the US. They fit well in our facility as we have had quicklube bays since 2005. They provide a consistent delivery program for the Quick Lube industry and they, more then any other taught us "the business" of oil changes. They are a great resource and a valuable partner. 

Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper and The Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance
Auto Value has been our primary parts distributor for the last several years. We are a certified service center with them as well.

The folks at the local store, the DC and the corporate staff have been a real pleasure to work with and they are a key to our success. I have been involved with them on industry planning issues as well as working together on local store and DC program improvements.

They have a delivery system second to none and are always looking for new ways to improve their value to us.

Rowleys Wholesale
It seems appropriate to thank Art Rowley for bearing a son named Paul and especially Paul for bearing two sons, Keith and Mike, who have assembled a staff second to none.

For those that don't know, the Rowleys family has been servicing Michigan's automotive service industry with lubes, oils and related products for about 90 years.

We could not have asked for better partners while we were equipping and training our quick lube and staff. They continue to provide us superior service and help us add value in our services to our customers.

Schneider Tire
Matt and his staff are our "Tire Mentors". When we got into the tire business several years ago, man were we green. They helped us learn the ropes, what to stock, how to sell and what the hell is a tire anyway and what do all those numbers mean. Their delivery is tops and we get tires every morning from them. Matt is always happy to work with me on inventory adjustments and on the rare occasion it is necessary, they do everything possible to get tire adjustments turned around in our favor.

We are also fortunate to be "on the route" to many of the larger markets in northern Michigan and receive daily delivery from 4 other tire distributors as well.

World Pac
Mario and the system from World Pac has really given us the edge in import service over the last 10 years or so. Being able to maintain the volume necessary to stay on the free next day air continues to give us a market edge for import vehicle parts.

The information Guys

Bill Sauer, Jeff Sweet and Brent Black from the Identifix/IATN fame have likely had the biggest positive impact on my personal health and my business health and allowed us to grow far beyond our abilities. More recently, we send out a big Thank You to Scott Brown for bring Diag.net to us in 2018. In 2021 we are pleased to announce our partnership with Gary Smith and  the team at DiagNation. Their expertise with live remote assistance with our techs, and the addition of the ATS Intelligent engine analyzer with integrated 8 channel scope, Escan elite and the Launch Pad II platforms, has really helped give our technicians the tooling and equipment they need for modern diagnostics. This information powerhouse will continue to provide us with cutting edge service information far into the future. 

We also have many local, regional and national parts and equirpment suppliers that have served us well through the years, and continue to do so.(of course, it helps when you pay your bills on time and we always have)