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SHOP PROFILE: Gray's Tire & Service Center

Jan. 1, 2020

David Gray was only nine years old when he had an epiphany: He would own an automotive repair shop someday ...

Gray’s Tire & Service Center
Never Stop BelievingSHOP TALK

Name: Gray’s Tire & Service Center
Location: Wetumpka, AL
Number of Shops: 2
Years in Business: 9
No. of Employees: 7
No. of ASE-certified
employees: 7
Sq. Footage: 3,000
No. of Bays: 4
Volume: 90-120 (six-day week)
Average Repair Cost: $225.00
Annual Revenue: $1.4 million

David Gray was only nine years old when he had an epiphany: He would own an automotive repair shop someday. By 17, he was working at a local facility, and was 20 years old when he started managing it.

When he turned 22, he fulfilled his destiny by opening Gray’s Tire & Service Center. With youthful zeal and a proven track record, he not only persuaded a bank to loan him the start-up money, but convinced his chief mechanic and mentor to come with him. A key individual in Gray’s operation, Robert Griggs is an ASE Master Mechanic and was NAPA’s 2001 Alabama Technician of the Year.

“I guess he saw something in me and believed in me, and I believed in him,” says David Gray. “He’s sort of like a father figure to me. I listen to him. A lot of times I don’t, and he says I just have to learn things the hard way sometimes. We have a great relationship; it’s like family. I know my weaknesses; I surround myself with people who are better than I am in some areas.”

Gray thoroughly embraces technology, allotting a certain percentage of his annual budget for upgrades. For instance, a laptop with wireless Internet gives his technicians easy access to information while they’re working on vehicles.

1 Gray’s waiting area. 2 Matt King, Judy Bell and David Gray (front office personnel). 3 Chris Flynn installs tires. 4 Ellis Foster, Ford certified tech, installs motor mounts. 5 L.B. Lykes works on a car’s alignment. “To do the amount of business we do,” he observes, “you’ve got to stay on top [of the technology].” Believing that some people are so caught up in the business they don’t take time to stay ahead of it, Gray spends about 30 minutes to an hour every workday morning reading trade material. Once asked what he feared most, Gray replied, “I never want to be content with anything in my life. I want to be the best at whatever I do, be it managing people or working on cars. First Impressions While David Gray is unpretentious about the condition of his shop, maintenance and presentation are top priorities. He likes to keep the facility “ultraclean,” while the waiting area incorporates several rocking chairs, a children’s play area and freshly brewed coffee to make it more inviting. If the customer chooses to leave, a loaner vehicle is provided. To introduce new customers to all his services, David mails recent arrivals to the area a coupon for a free oil change. “I think our main thing is just taking care of people, whether employees or customers,” Gray explains. “The cars are usually the easy part; it’s the people who are tough – making sure they have a good feeling when they leave here.”

“We’re a simple four-bay store. We’re out of room. We don’t have great parking. But when the customers come in, we treat them well. We do hand-written thank you notes. We take care of them, and they trust us.”

To help solve the space problem, Gray had bought an old service station in downtown Wetumpka. This simple storage facility quickly morphed into a car wash for customers’ vehicles. It’s now a satellite store with it‘s own full-time mechanic. His customer base downtown skews more to toward the older crowd, who appreciate the full service.

“Our gas [prices are] usually right along with every else,” he continues. “Maybe a little higher, but we don’t make any money off that. It’s a service. It’s no different than giving free oil changes. [Customers] meet us, they like us, [and] they do more business with us.”

For Gray, professional skill and charm combine to create loyalty, which in turn translates into sales. “It’s all your personality,” he explains. “If you just come across like you actually care, it makes a big difference. It’s relationships; that’s the main thing. When I [opened the shop], my goal was just to hit $40,000 a month, and we did over $40,000 the first month. [I had] a good following.”

About the Author

Robert Bravender

Robert Bravender graduated from the University of Memphis (TN) with a bachelor's degree in film and video production. Now working at Masters TV, he produces Motorhead Garage with longtime how-to guys Sam Memmolo and Dave Bowman. Bravender has edited a magazine for the National Muscle Car Association, a member-based race organization, which in turn lead to producing TV shows for ESPN, the Outdoor Life Network and Speedvision. He has produced shows ranging from the Mothers Polish Car Show Series to sport compact racing to Street Rodder TV.