Technician Carl Frey started in the automotive industry in the early ‘90s working as a technician on a farm. He spent a little time painting at Ford before stepping out solo into the automotive world and opening his own shop, Frey & Son Automotive.
Frey’s shop performs a variety of services, from alignments to custom paints, front-end suspension work, and more. They even do some work with custom builds for show trucks and some of those cars have made their way into museums. With a workload as extensive as Frey’s, it’s important that he has the tool storage to keep his everyday operations running smoothly and efficiently. That’s where the Cornwell Platinum comes into play.
Setting it up
Several factors drew Frey to the Cornwell Platinum, aside from its bright orange color. Storage capacity and power played key roles in his decision to pull the trigger and buy the box.
“Where can you plug in and charge and stuff? That was definitely convenient to have that power,” Frey explains.
The Cornwell Platinum setup is a full 35’ in length, with two additional boxes on either side and six lockers (three on the left and three on the right). Frey got the first box around four years ago and has built on it to accommodate the needs of his growing business.
As well as adding lockers and other storage to the Platinum, Frey has put a lot of time, energy, and creativity into his toolbox. Just recently, he added a pinstripe design and lettering along the front, with black flame decals on the doors of each additional locker.
“It looks pretty impressive,” Frey says, allowing himself a small brag for his handiwork.
Clean and organized
Everyone has their own system when it comes to organizing, and Frey keeps his simple but effective.
Each category of tools has its own place in his toolbox, with the exception of diagnostic tools that are housed in their own separate diagnostic workstation. Most tools in blow-molded cases are housed in lockers—like compression tools, ball joint tool sets, and more. Another locker is reserved for heavy truck tools. The drawers are full of hand tools like screwdrivers, sockets, and hammers.
“It's organized pretty well,” Frey says. “Everybody’s got their own system.”
The right box for you
As your shop expands and the industry evolves, your toolbox will most likely fill up and need expansion too. If you’re looking for new storage for your shop, Frey suggests thinking big, bigger even than what you might think you need.
“There [are] different tools for today’s vehicles that no matter how long you’ve been doing it there’s always tools that you’re gonna have to have,” Frey says. “If you buy a box that’s, say, $10,000, and then a year later you can’t fit [anything] in it.”
When making a purchase this big, Frey says to think of the future. If you’re new to the industry, it might feel like too much space, but you and your business will grow into it.
