Precision Imports has been in business for 16 years. Jen and Tony Ringham, a married couple, have been running the shop together since it opened. Originally, Tony planned on taking over his parents’ real estate business, but when the market slowed in 2008, they decided to pursue being auto shop owners. Since then, their business has become the go-to shop for European cars, not just in their rural town but for those in a 50-mile radius from them. They’ve built the business from just the two of them to a team of six, from making $100,000 to making $1.5 million.
The shop is located in Milaca, Minn. It's a small community, or as Jen Ringham puts it, “as in, Amish carts, a township road, three miles outside of town, in a town of 2,800 people”. The Ringhams have two kids aged three and six. When they’re not at work you can find them at the lake or roller skating as a family.
Running their own shop comes with many perks. Jen Ringham says she “loves learning about cars, their common issues, and getting to drive some cool stuff!” Not only that, but she gets to do it with the person she loves. "It’s an opportunity many aren’t afforded.”
They also love being able to network with their fellow shop owners. One way they do this is by being DRIVE clients. This allows them to connect with other shop owners, some with more experience than them. Ringham's favorite part is telling their stories of how they run their shops and how they got started. She and Tony “love the wide variety of backgrounds shop owners have. We all come from different walks of life.” They were able to complete lots of networking this year at DRIVE EXPO 2022. While there, they also received the Professional Shop Owner Award. Their trophy sits on their shelf and reminds them of how far they’ve come and how far they still have left to go.
Before becoming DRIVE clients, the couple was constantly working in the business, handling everything from communicating with customers, to ordering parts, to selling work. Now they can focus on training their staff, refining shop processes, and building connections with their customers. Ringham says, “we immediately saw results and improvements in both our numbers and our culture after becoming DRIVE clients.” With the tools given to them by DRIVE, they are confident in the metrics of the business.
The couple love doing what they do, but they’re most proud of the team they’ve curated. They can describe the shop culture they created in three simple words: strong, focused, and calm. Jen Ringham says, “A fly on the wall would feel the difference of our 1.5 million vs other shops' 1.5 million. Everyone contributes and is very productive.” They’re focused on hiring the right person to do the job, not just any technician. Because of this, they really enjoy the team they have.
As a shop, their number one priority is taking care of their customers. Through the years, they’ve learned word of mouth referrals are a major marketing key. When you treat your customers right, they’re more likely to recommend your shop to someone they know! Quality is Precision Imports' number-one objective.
