(Atlanta, Georgia)
How Automotive Shop Software Fuels This MultiShop Empire
This business’s founders, Dave Markert and Rob Eschew, first met in college while negotiating the sale of BMW car parts. They opened their first shop in 2013 then rebranded as True Automotive in 2019 to tap into a shorter name. Next, they expanded to nine shops (six in Georgia, two in Colorado and one in Texas) thanks to innovative automotive shop software. Ultimately, they dream of opening 40 to 50 auto repair shops during their careers.
The challenge: Limited by old automotive repair software
Once Rob and Dave opened their second store, they discovered they needed auto repair software that kept pace with their dreams. Knowing they wanted to grow further, they wanted auto shop software that delivered consistent metrics across all their shops. They couldn’t find it with the previous two programs they tried.
They found other programs ate up too much time as they sorted through their key performance indicators. Instead, they wanted to free up their days to buy up more shops from owners who were retiring and selling.
They also knew that creating a big, profitable business would allow them to take better care of their team. Running shops that generated $100,000 in sales wouldn’t lead to them upgrading their shops or offering staff benefits.
The results: Growth with auto shop software that matches their dreams
Dave and Rob signed on with Shop-Ware in December 2019, just in time for their third shop to come aboard. Their business has spiked in growth ever since.
“We are always trying to improve the things we do and the people we work with,” says Dave, who acts as chief financial officer.
The current staff of 58 includes a diagnostic technician, a floating trainer and a shared accounting department. The owners would like to build the team to 500 employees working at 40 to 50 unique shops.
By luck, the sixth shop they purchased already uses Shop-Ware. As a result, they kept shop operations running as is and just had to change the sign outside, Dave says with a smile.
The takeaway: Automotive repair software with a clear view
These days, True’s recipe for success relies on Shop-Ware’s multi-shop features with the auto repair software. It allows the co-owners to monitor data across all stores so they can see where they win and lose revenue. No one else offers that level of auto repair analytics, Dave notes.
Shop-Ware’s multishop option saves him from logging in and out repeatedly, which gives him more personal time. Since he started, his goal was to “work himself out of a job” as a hands-on manager.
Now, he has a new role – as a father. Dave and his wife Laura welcomed David William Markert the Third (Liam) to their family in autumn 2021.
“My goal was to be present for him, which means no more 70 to 80-hour weeks,” Dave says.
Meanwhile, True’s techs and service advisors also like Shop-Ware’s extra options to communicate with customers about ongoing repairs. As a result, they spend less time on the phone, sharing updates via live chat, text or email.
“We’re a very data-driven business. That keeps us with Shop-Ware. We can see the trends and I like pulling up data on my phone. It’s a godsend.”
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