Kevin Eckler is a native New Englander who moved to New York State’s Hudson Valley with his parents back in the mid-1980’s. Kevin began his automotive career at the age of 14, pushing a broom in a mom and pop shop in Rhode Island. He attended trade school, graduating at the top of his class and went right to work as a tech in a prestigious Porsche/Audi dealership in Cape Cod. Kevin continued his dealership work when he moved to NY and eventually came to work for two brothers who owned Foreign Car Specialists, Poughkeepsie, NY. When the owners retired in 1995, Kevin bought the business and the rest is history.
Lisa Eckler is an executive assistant by trade, and a native upstate New Yorker – and somehow managed to marry a Red Sox fan! Lisa’s background in office management and marketing brought a new facet to the business. When she left her position three years ago, Lisa became the business and marketing manager for Foreign Car Specialists. In her new position, she has increased customer awareness for the business, increased the shop’s search engine optimization (SEO) and has brought the business to the first page of Google’s organic rankings for search engine results.
Kevin and Lisa are newlyweds who will celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary soon. Lisa has two boys who are grown and gone and a daughter still at home. Kevin’s teenage daughter and son live with them full time and rounding out the family are four cats, a perfect dog and 11 chickens who provide breakfast and entertainment daily.
Talking points:
Number of locations: | 1 |
Total square feet of all facilities: | 4500 |
Years in industry (Kevin): | 37 |
Years business ownership: | 22 |
Number of technicians: | 3 Includes Kevin |
Number of service advisers: | 1 |
Number of lifts: | 7 |
Number of bays: | 8 |
Days open: | Mon – Fri |
Annual estimated volume: | $823K |
Technician efficiency: | 148% |
Technician productivity: | 96% on average |
Labor rate: | $110.00 |
Effective labor rate: | $95.25 |
Average repair order (ARO): | $470.00 |
Average car count: | 146/Month |
YTD gross profit percent: | 56.9% |
YTD net profit percent: | 9.4% |
Percent Repair vs Maintenance vs Other: | 50/35/15 |
Technician training hours per year: | 40 |
Service adviser training hours per year: | 45 |
CEO training hours per year: | 80 |
Training Type: | Leader Led 80% – On-Line 20% |
Specialize: | BMW, Audi, VW but work on all makes and models |
Specialist in: | Euro diagnostics, as well as old air cooled. Complimentary wash/spray wax and vacuuming for every customer visit. Loaner cars and a local complimentary shuttle. |
Personal certifications: | ASE Master |
Special accreditations: | New York State Inspection, Factory Training Porsche, Audi, VW, Toyota, Peugeot, Bertone. |
Shop management system (SMS): | NAPA Tracs |
Completely paperless in the shop?: | Yes |
Digital Vehicle Inspection: | AutoVitals Smart Flow 2 |
Business coach: | Cecil Bullard |
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