SEMA News—August 2015

BUSINESS
By Steve Campbell

Retail Spotlight

	Custom Trucks Unlimited employs 17 people, not counting owners David and Kevin Walker. There are currently two stores, one in Auburn, Alabama, and the other in Columbus, Georgia. A third is in the works.

Custom Trucks Unlimited Builds and Succeeds Through Service

Like so many small-business owners involved in automotive retail companies, David and Kevin Walker were enthusiasts early on. They loved anything with an engine, and they helped pay their way through college by working at a truck accessories store. That experience gave them a foundation in auto-parts retailing, so it was natural that they should start a store of their own when the chance presented itself. David was 21 and Kevin 20 in 2006 when they opened the doors to Custom Trucks Unlimited (CTU) in Auburn, Alabama.

The business thrived, and they had ambitions to open a second location, but David and Kevin had made a promise to their parents that they would finish school before undertaking any expansion. They both now hold degrees from Auburn University, and Kevin also earned a law degree from Northwestern University. They opened a second store in Columbus, Georgia, just a few weeks ago, and they also own the construction company that built their new Auburn facility. The two brothers own multiple Line-X franchises, and they’re finalizing plans for a third CTU location to open within
the year.

	Kevin Walker (left) was 20 and David 21 in 2006 when the brothers opened the doors to their first Custom Trucks Unlimited store in Auburn, Alabama.

The two current CTU operations employ 17 people, not counting the brothers. The 12,000-sq.-ft. Auburn store includes retail space as well as adjacent installation bays that house six lifts accessible through 12 drive-through bay doors, and the 8,000-sq.-ft. Columbus store features six bay doors and three lifts. The Auburn store is, the brothers say, a state-of-the-art facility that was built to impress.

Meyer Distributing Vice President of Sales and Marketing Nick Gramelspacher said that CTU has become a top customer for the national warehouse distributor through “…actually caring for their customers, service after the sale, being proactive in trying new products and not being afraid to think outside the box.” SEMA News recently spent some time in conversation with the Walkers about how they’ve developed their stores.

SEMA News: What do you feel has made your company successful? Who are your customers, and what draws them to your stores?

David Walker: Because we were so young when we started and were the sixth competitor in this market, we had to really sell people on our knowledge and our customer service—and we enjoyed it. We didn’t feel like we were selling you anything. If you came in with a truck, we would look up everything made for that vehicle as if it were our own. We would explain to you what we thought was good, and we weren’t afraid to give people our personal recommendations. We showed our customers what was being featured in the most current enthusiast magazines so that they would know what was hot, and we weren’t afraid of pricing those products.

A lot of our competitors missed the mark in that they wanted to push certain brands or certain packages that they were used to ordering. But our customers were looking to personalize their trucks, so we didn’t limit ourselves. We showed them anything and everything that was out there, and we’d even further modify something like a wheel with custom paint or a decal. We’d powdercoat suspension components so that they’d look different from what other people had. That has helped make us unique.

Kevin Walker: Our customer demographics are similar at both stores. They’re typically male and anywhere from 16 to 70 years old. But our large-ticket customers—people who spend in excess of $7,500—are typically 35 to 45 years old, and they’ll have us install a full-blown lift, wheels and tires, a spray-in bedliner, fender flares, custom paint and interior work all at once. They come in looking for an individualized project, and that is what we supply.

The 12,000-sq.-ft. Auburn store includes retail space as well as adjacent installation bays that house six lifts accessible through 12 bay doors, and the 8,000-sq.-ft. Columbus store features six bay doors and three lifts.

SN: Do you specialize in specific products or types of vehicles? If so, how did the company decide to target that market?

DW: We do all types of truck installations, but we are known primarily for our suspension work. When we opened our business, Kevin had a truck on 44-in. tires, and I had one on 49-in. tires. They both obviously had custom suspensions, and we wanted to make a presence in town. Before we opened, the shops in town were comfortable with only moderate suspensions, but Kevin and I had lifted trucks to accommodate anywhere from 33- to 54-in. tires. We now do at least one suspension lift a day every day of the week.

SN: How do you determine what new products to include in your inventory? What factors help you decide to take a chance on something different?

KW: We won’t sell anything that we wouldn’t put on our own trucks. If a company approaches us about selling something, it has to be a quality item. We won’t sell cheap or knock-off products. We look at our customers’ trucks the same way we look at our own. If we were to sell something of lesser quality, and that customer showed it to a knowledgeable friend, our reputation would suffer. Our customers ask us for advice about their trucks, and we have to be trusted to give them quality answers.

SN: What are your best marketing tools? How do you reach out to customers to stimulate sales?

DW: Kevin and I buy and customize a lot of trucks. We are usually the first people in the area to have the newest model. We put $7,500 to $10,000 worth of stuff on each one and drive them 10,000 miles. We usually have a buyer for each truck before we even get the first 2,500 miles on it. We also do a lot of dealership trucks, and the dealerships give us free reign. They don’t give us a budget or tell us what to build. They tell us to do what we think will sell. We usually have one of those trucks in our showroom. We sold seven of them out of our shop in the first six months of this year.

	While CTU does all types of truck installations, the stores are known primarily for suspension work. CTU does at least one suspension lift a day. “What differentiates us is that we are cutting edge in what we carry and install,” said David.

Our business has grown 20% year-over-year for the last nine years. Our growth has been so rapid that we really don’t have to consciously seek more business. We’re already working 60- to 70-hour workweeks, and we’re open six days a week. The Columbus store is going to pull a little bit of the market away from the Auburn store, but it will also give us more total reach.

SN: How do you train your staff to best serve the business and its customers?

DW: The guys we hire are enthusiasts. They were doing these types of installations for themselves when they were 16 years old. In fact, the first paycheck for half the guys I hire goes right back into what they drive—at employee cost. We just try to teach them about the products and the distinctions between—for instance, different types of suspension.

We teach our employees about our products by having them look up every possible product for a given make, model and year of truck. We have them look up a complete blackout package and price the whole thing, then do the same for an all-chrome package. Then we have them do the same thing for a different make, model and year. We make sure that our counterperson welcomes everyone who comes in the front door and that we have enough employees on hand so that every customer gets attention immediately. We also pay our guys by the hour rather than by commission. So whether they are learning or selling or installing or even cleaning, they’re making the same money.

Executive Summary Custom Trucks Unlimited 334-704-0909 www.ctuusa.com • 1817 Opelika Rd.    Auburn, AL 36830-3908 • 8238 N. Crossing Ct.    Columbus, GA 31808 • Owners: David and Kevin Walker. • 17 employees • Sells and installs truck accessories and components; specializes in custom packages and suspensions. • Sales have increased 20% each year of operation. • Offers customers high degree of personalized service. • Operates two facilities, including a 12,000-sq.-ft. store in Auburn, Alabama, and an 8,000-sq.-ft. store in Columbus, Georgia. Plans are nearing completion for a third store. • Biggest challenge is guarding against complacency.

When we first train somebody in sales, we train him on Line-X bedliners. It’s a very easy product to learn, and we have them memorize 10 facts about the product and then have them personalize three or four of those facts into their own sales pitch. We’ve found that if our employees know the products very well and can explain product manufacturing, installation and warranty information, people will be confident in their knowledge. And when you’ve educated customers about what they’re looking for, they’ll listen to the pricing you’re able to give them.

SN: How do you differentiate your business from others in the segment? What do you do to ensure that customers come to you rather than going to others?

DW: Our store in Auburn is one of the nicest truck stores in the South, if not in the country. We have about eight nice demonstration trucks out on the front pad, and we’re not afraid to tackle anything. The only thing that limits us is the customer’s wallet. We have done $35,000 builds on trucks, including superchargers, custom leather and custom bumpers, and we also do a ton of sustainable business—window tint, leather, hitches, dealership work. But what differentiates us is that we are cutting edge in what we carry and install.

SN: What have been the greatest challenges for your business?

DW: Keeping current is the biggest challenge. We need to keep on top of what’s appearing in magazines, and we need to keep our employees interested in what they are doing. That’s why we have them learn all different facets of the business—installations, front counter, working with different products and different vehicles. We’re always trying to keep things fresh.

SN: What have been your most rewarding successes?

KW: We’re very proud of our second location and the fact that we’re working on a third. We enjoy seeing our employees do well and move up in the company, taking on new challenges and accepting management responsibilities. Some of our guys have gone on to other things and are doing really well, and it’s cool to watch everybody grow up together and have success on their own. But we’re also proud of small things.

We had an older gentleman come into the store and tell us that his son had gone to a dealership with a problem on his truck. The dealership had given him what seemed to be a high estimate to fix the problem, so the son came to us for advice. We looked at the truck, decided that it was really a quickly fixable item, so we did the repair and didn’t charge him anything for it. The father had come in to thank us, and that made us feel very good.

SEMA News—August 2015

BUSINESS
By Steve Campbell

Retail Spotlight

	Custom Trucks Unlimited employs 17 people, not counting owners David and Kevin Walker. There are currently two stores, one in Auburn, Alabama, and the other in Columbus, Georgia. A third is in the works.

Custom Trucks Unlimited Builds and Succeeds Through Service

Like so many small-business owners involved in automotive retail companies, David and Kevin Walker were enthusiasts early on. They loved anything with an engine, and they helped pay their way through college by working at a truck accessories store. That experience gave them a foundation in auto-parts retailing, so it was natural that they should start a store of their own when the chance presented itself. David was 21 and Kevin 20 in 2006 when they opened the doors to Custom Trucks Unlimited (CTU) in Auburn, Alabama.

The business thrived, and they had ambitions to open a second location, but David and Kevin had made a promise to their parents that they would finish school before undertaking any expansion. They both now hold degrees from Auburn University, and Kevin also earned a law degree from Northwestern University. They opened a second store in Columbus, Georgia, just a few weeks ago, and they also own the construction company that built their new Auburn facility. The two brothers own multiple Line-X franchises, and they’re finalizing plans for a third CTU location to open within
the year.

	Kevin Walker (left) was 20 and David 21 in 2006 when the brothers opened the doors to their first Custom Trucks Unlimited store in Auburn, Alabama.

The two current CTU operations employ 17 people, not counting the brothers. The 12,000-sq.-ft. Auburn store includes retail space as well as adjacent installation bays that house six lifts accessible through 12 drive-through bay doors, and the 8,000-sq.-ft. Columbus store features six bay doors and three lifts. The Auburn store is, the brothers say, a state-of-the-art facility that was built to impress.

Meyer Distributing Vice President of Sales and Marketing Nick Gramelspacher said that CTU has become a top customer for the national warehouse distributor through “…actually caring for their customers, service after the sale, being proactive in trying new products and not being afraid to think outside the box.” SEMA News recently spent some time in conversation with the Walkers about how they’ve developed their stores.

SEMA News: What do you feel has made your company successful? Who are your customers, and what draws them to your stores?

David Walker: Because we were so young when we started and were the sixth competitor in this market, we had to really sell people on our knowledge and our customer service—and we enjoyed it. We didn’t feel like we were selling you anything. If you came in with a truck, we would look up everything made for that vehicle as if it were our own. We would explain to you what we thought was good, and we weren’t afraid to give people our personal recommendations. We showed our customers what was being featured in the most current enthusiast magazines so that they would know what was hot, and we weren’t afraid of pricing those products.

A lot of our competitors missed the mark in that they wanted to push certain brands or certain packages that they were used to ordering. But our customers were looking to personalize their trucks, so we didn’t limit ourselves. We showed them anything and everything that was out there, and we’d even further modify something like a wheel with custom paint or a decal. We’d powdercoat suspension components so that they’d look different from what other people had. That has helped make us unique.

Kevin Walker: Our customer demographics are similar at both stores. They’re typically male and anywhere from 16 to 70 years old. But our large-ticket customers—people who spend in excess of $7,500—are typically 35 to 45 years old, and they’ll have us install a full-blown lift, wheels and tires, a spray-in bedliner, fender flares, custom paint and interior work all at once. They come in looking for an individualized project, and that is what we supply.

The 12,000-sq.-ft. Auburn store includes retail space as well as adjacent installation bays that house six lifts accessible through 12 bay doors, and the 8,000-sq.-ft. Columbus store features six bay doors and three lifts.

SN: Do you specialize in specific products or types of vehicles? If so, how did the company decide to target that market?

DW: We do all types of truck installations, but we are known primarily for our suspension work. When we opened our business, Kevin had a truck on 44-in. tires, and I had one on 49-in. tires. They both obviously had custom suspensions, and we wanted to make a presence in town. Before we opened, the shops in town were comfortable with only moderate suspensions, but Kevin and I had lifted trucks to accommodate anywhere from 33- to 54-in. tires. We now do at least one suspension lift a day every day of the week.

SN: How do you determine what new products to include in your inventory? What factors help you decide to take a chance on something different?

KW: We won’t sell anything that we wouldn’t put on our own trucks. If a company approaches us about selling something, it has to be a quality item. We won’t sell cheap or knock-off products. We look at our customers’ trucks the same way we look at our own. If we were to sell something of lesser quality, and that customer showed it to a knowledgeable friend, our reputation would suffer. Our customers ask us for advice about their trucks, and we have to be trusted to give them quality answers.

SN: What are your best marketing tools? How do you reach out to customers to stimulate sales?

DW: Kevin and I buy and customize a lot of trucks. We are usually the first people in the area to have the newest model. We put $7,500 to $10,000 worth of stuff on each one and drive them 10,000 miles. We usually have a buyer for each truck before we even get the first 2,500 miles on it. We also do a lot of dealership trucks, and the dealerships give us free reign. They don’t give us a budget or tell us what to build. They tell us to do what we think will sell. We usually have one of those trucks in our showroom. We sold seven of them out of our shop in the first six months of this year.

	While CTU does all types of truck installations, the stores are known primarily for suspension work. CTU does at least one suspension lift a day. “What differentiates us is that we are cutting edge in what we carry and install,” said David.

Our business has grown 20% year-over-year for the last nine years. Our growth has been so rapid that we really don’t have to consciously seek more business. We’re already working 60- to 70-hour workweeks, and we’re open six days a week. The Columbus store is going to pull a little bit of the market away from the Auburn store, but it will also give us more total reach.

SN: How do you train your staff to best serve the business and its customers?

DW: The guys we hire are enthusiasts. They were doing these types of installations for themselves when they were 16 years old. In fact, the first paycheck for half the guys I hire goes right back into what they drive—at employee cost. We just try to teach them about the products and the distinctions between—for instance, different types of suspension.

We teach our employees about our products by having them look up every possible product for a given make, model and year of truck. We have them look up a complete blackout package and price the whole thing, then do the same for an all-chrome package. Then we have them do the same thing for a different make, model and year. We make sure that our counterperson welcomes everyone who comes in the front door and that we have enough employees on hand so that every customer gets attention immediately. We also pay our guys by the hour rather than by commission. So whether they are learning or selling or installing or even cleaning, they’re making the same money.

Executive Summary Custom Trucks Unlimited 334-704-0909 www.ctuusa.com • 1817 Opelika Rd.    Auburn, AL 36830-3908 • 8238 N. Crossing Ct.    Columbus, GA 31808 • Owners: David and Kevin Walker. • 17 employees • Sells and installs truck accessories and components; specializes in custom packages and suspensions. • Sales have increased 20% each year of operation. • Offers customers high degree of personalized service. • Operates two facilities, including a 12,000-sq.-ft. store in Auburn, Alabama, and an 8,000-sq.-ft. store in Columbus, Georgia. Plans are nearing completion for a third store. • Biggest challenge is guarding against complacency.

When we first train somebody in sales, we train him on Line-X bedliners. It’s a very easy product to learn, and we have them memorize 10 facts about the product and then have them personalize three or four of those facts into their own sales pitch. We’ve found that if our employees know the products very well and can explain product manufacturing, installation and warranty information, people will be confident in their knowledge. And when you’ve educated customers about what they’re looking for, they’ll listen to the pricing you’re able to give them.

SN: How do you differentiate your business from others in the segment? What do you do to ensure that customers come to you rather than going to others?

DW: Our store in Auburn is one of the nicest truck stores in the South, if not in the country. We have about eight nice demonstration trucks out on the front pad, and we’re not afraid to tackle anything. The only thing that limits us is the customer’s wallet. We have done $35,000 builds on trucks, including superchargers, custom leather and custom bumpers, and we also do a ton of sustainable business—window tint, leather, hitches, dealership work. But what differentiates us is that we are cutting edge in what we carry and install.

SN: What have been the greatest challenges for your business?

DW: Keeping current is the biggest challenge. We need to keep on top of what’s appearing in magazines, and we need to keep our employees interested in what they are doing. That’s why we have them learn all different facets of the business—installations, front counter, working with different products and different vehicles. We’re always trying to keep things fresh.

SN: What have been your most rewarding successes?

KW: We’re very proud of our second location and the fact that we’re working on a third. We enjoy seeing our employees do well and move up in the company, taking on new challenges and accepting management responsibilities. Some of our guys have gone on to other things and are doing really well, and it’s cool to watch everybody grow up together and have success on their own. But we’re also proud of small things.

We had an older gentleman come into the store and tell us that his son had gone to a dealership with a problem on his truck. The dealership had given him what seemed to be a high estimate to fix the problem, so the son came to us for advice. We looked at the truck, decided that it was really a quickly fixable item, so we did the repair and didn’t charge him anything for it. The father had come in to thank us, and that made us feel very good.

SEMA News—August 2015

BUSINESS
By Steve Campbell

Retail Spotlight

	Custom Trucks Unlimited employs 17 people, not counting owners David and Kevin Walker. There are currently two stores, one in Auburn, Alabama, and the other in Columbus, Georgia. A third is in the works.

Custom Trucks Unlimited Builds and Succeeds Through Service

Like so many small-business owners involved in automotive retail companies, David and Kevin Walker were enthusiasts early on. They loved anything with an engine, and they helped pay their way through college by working at a truck accessories store. That experience gave them a foundation in auto-parts retailing, so it was natural that they should start a store of their own when the chance presented itself. David was 21 and Kevin 20 in 2006 when they opened the doors to Custom Trucks Unlimited (CTU) in Auburn, Alabama.

The business thrived, and they had ambitions to open a second location, but David and Kevin had made a promise to their parents that they would finish school before undertaking any expansion. They both now hold degrees from Auburn University, and Kevin also earned a law degree from Northwestern University. They opened a second store in Columbus, Georgia, just a few weeks ago, and they also own the construction company that built their new Auburn facility. The two brothers own multiple Line-X franchises, and they’re finalizing plans for a third CTU location to open within
the year.

	Kevin Walker (left) was 20 and David 21 in 2006 when the brothers opened the doors to their first Custom Trucks Unlimited store in Auburn, Alabama.

The two current CTU operations employ 17 people, not counting the brothers. The 12,000-sq.-ft. Auburn store includes retail space as well as adjacent installation bays that house six lifts accessible through 12 drive-through bay doors, and the 8,000-sq.-ft. Columbus store features six bay doors and three lifts. The Auburn store is, the brothers say, a state-of-the-art facility that was built to impress.

Meyer Distributing Vice President of Sales and Marketing Nick Gramelspacher said that CTU has become a top customer for the national warehouse distributor through “…actually caring for their customers, service after the sale, being proactive in trying new products and not being afraid to think outside the box.” SEMA News recently spent some time in conversation with the Walkers about how they’ve developed their stores.

SEMA News: What do you feel has made your company successful? Who are your customers, and what draws them to your stores?

David Walker: Because we were so young when we started and were the sixth competitor in this market, we had to really sell people on our knowledge and our customer service—and we enjoyed it. We didn’t feel like we were selling you anything. If you came in with a truck, we would look up everything made for that vehicle as if it were our own. We would explain to you what we thought was good, and we weren’t afraid to give people our personal recommendations. We showed our customers what was being featured in the most current enthusiast magazines so that they would know what was hot, and we weren’t afraid of pricing those products.

A lot of our competitors missed the mark in that they wanted to push certain brands or certain packages that they were used to ordering. But our customers were looking to personalize their trucks, so we didn’t limit ourselves. We showed them anything and everything that was out there, and we’d even further modify something like a wheel with custom paint or a decal. We’d powdercoat suspension components so that they’d look different from what other people had. That has helped make us unique.

Kevin Walker: Our customer demographics are similar at both stores. They’re typically male and anywhere from 16 to 70 years old. But our large-ticket customers—people who spend in excess of $7,500—are typically 35 to 45 years old, and they’ll have us install a full-blown lift, wheels and tires, a spray-in bedliner, fender flares, custom paint and interior work all at once. They come in looking for an individualized project, and that is what we supply.

The 12,000-sq.-ft. Auburn store includes retail space as well as adjacent installation bays that house six lifts accessible through 12 bay doors, and the 8,000-sq.-ft. Columbus store features six bay doors and three lifts.

SN: Do you specialize in specific products or types of vehicles? If so, how did the company decide to target that market?

DW: We do all types of truck installations, but we are known primarily for our suspension work. When we opened our business, Kevin had a truck on 44-in. tires, and I had one on 49-in. tires. They both obviously had custom suspensions, and we wanted to make a presence in town. Before we opened, the shops in town were comfortable with only moderate suspensions, but Kevin and I had lifted trucks to accommodate anywhere from 33- to 54-in. tires. We now do at least one suspension lift a day every day of the week.

SN: How do you determine what new products to include in your inventory? What factors help you decide to take a chance on something different?

KW: We won’t sell anything that we wouldn’t put on our own trucks. If a company approaches us about selling something, it has to be a quality item. We won’t sell cheap or knock-off products. We look at our customers’ trucks the same way we look at our own. If we were to sell something of lesser quality, and that customer showed it to a knowledgeable friend, our reputation would suffer. Our customers ask us for advice about their trucks, and we have to be trusted to give them quality answers.

SN: What are your best marketing tools? How do you reach out to customers to stimulate sales?

DW: Kevin and I buy and customize a lot of trucks. We are usually the first people in the area to have the newest model. We put $7,500 to $10,000 worth of stuff on each one and drive them 10,000 miles. We usually have a buyer for each truck before we even get the first 2,500 miles on it. We also do a lot of dealership trucks, and the dealerships give us free reign. They don’t give us a budget or tell us what to build. They tell us to do what we think will sell. We usually have one of those trucks in our showroom. We sold seven of them out of our shop in the first six months of this year.

	While CTU does all types of truck installations, the stores are known primarily for suspension work. CTU does at least one suspension lift a day. “What differentiates us is that we are cutting edge in what we carry and install,” said David.

Our business has grown 20% year-over-year for the last nine years. Our growth has been so rapid that we really don’t have to consciously seek more business. We’re already working 60- to 70-hour workweeks, and we’re open six days a week. The Columbus store is going to pull a little bit of the market away from the Auburn store, but it will also give us more total reach.

SN: How do you train your staff to best serve the business and its customers?

DW: The guys we hire are enthusiasts. They were doing these types of installations for themselves when they were 16 years old. In fact, the first paycheck for half the guys I hire goes right back into what they drive—at employee cost. We just try to teach them about the products and the distinctions between—for instance, different types of suspension.

We teach our employees about our products by having them look up every possible product for a given make, model and year of truck. We have them look up a complete blackout package and price the whole thing, then do the same for an all-chrome package. Then we have them do the same thing for a different make, model and year. We make sure that our counterperson welcomes everyone who comes in the front door and that we have enough employees on hand so that every customer gets attention immediately. We also pay our guys by the hour rather than by commission. So whether they are learning or selling or installing or even cleaning, they’re making the same money.

Executive Summary Custom Trucks Unlimited 334-704-0909 www.ctuusa.com • 1817 Opelika Rd.    Auburn, AL 36830-3908 • 8238 N. Crossing Ct.    Columbus, GA 31808 • Owners: David and Kevin Walker. • 17 employees • Sells and installs truck accessories and components; specializes in custom packages and suspensions. • Sales have increased 20% each year of operation. • Offers customers high degree of personalized service. • Operates two facilities, including a 12,000-sq.-ft. store in Auburn, Alabama, and an 8,000-sq.-ft. store in Columbus, Georgia. Plans are nearing completion for a third store. • Biggest challenge is guarding against complacency.

When we first train somebody in sales, we train him on Line-X bedliners. It’s a very easy product to learn, and we have them memorize 10 facts about the product and then have them personalize three or four of those facts into their own sales pitch. We’ve found that if our employees know the products very well and can explain product manufacturing, installation and warranty information, people will be confident in their knowledge. And when you’ve educated customers about what they’re looking for, they’ll listen to the pricing you’re able to give them.

SN: How do you differentiate your business from others in the segment? What do you do to ensure that customers come to you rather than going to others?

DW: Our store in Auburn is one of the nicest truck stores in the South, if not in the country. We have about eight nice demonstration trucks out on the front pad, and we’re not afraid to tackle anything. The only thing that limits us is the customer’s wallet. We have done $35,000 builds on trucks, including superchargers, custom leather and custom bumpers, and we also do a ton of sustainable business—window tint, leather, hitches, dealership work. But what differentiates us is that we are cutting edge in what we carry and install.

SN: What have been the greatest challenges for your business?

DW: Keeping current is the biggest challenge. We need to keep on top of what’s appearing in magazines, and we need to keep our employees interested in what they are doing. That’s why we have them learn all different facets of the business—installations, front counter, working with different products and different vehicles. We’re always trying to keep things fresh.

SN: What have been your most rewarding successes?

KW: We’re very proud of our second location and the fact that we’re working on a third. We enjoy seeing our employees do well and move up in the company, taking on new challenges and accepting management responsibilities. Some of our guys have gone on to other things and are doing really well, and it’s cool to watch everybody grow up together and have success on their own. But we’re also proud of small things.

We had an older gentleman come into the store and tell us that his son had gone to a dealership with a problem on his truck. The dealership had given him what seemed to be a high estimate to fix the problem, so the son came to us for advice. We looked at the truck, decided that it was really a quickly fixable item, so we did the repair and didn’t charge him anything for it. The father had come in to thank us, and that made us feel very good.

SEMA News—August 2015

BUSINESS
By Steve Campbell

Retail Spotlight

	Custom Trucks Unlimited employs 17 people, not counting owners David and Kevin Walker. There are currently two stores, one in Auburn, Alabama, and the other in Columbus, Georgia. A third is in the works.

Custom Trucks Unlimited Builds and Succeeds Through Service

Like so many small-business owners involved in automotive retail companies, David and Kevin Walker were enthusiasts early on. They loved anything with an engine, and they helped pay their way through college by working at a truck accessories store. That experience gave them a foundation in auto-parts retailing, so it was natural that they should start a store of their own when the chance presented itself. David was 21 and Kevin 20 in 2006 when they opened the doors to Custom Trucks Unlimited (CTU) in Auburn, Alabama.

The business thrived, and they had ambitions to open a second location, but David and Kevin had made a promise to their parents that they would finish school before undertaking any expansion. They both now hold degrees from Auburn University, and Kevin also earned a law degree from Northwestern University. They opened a second store in Columbus, Georgia, just a few weeks ago, and they also own the construction company that built their new Auburn facility. The two brothers own multiple Line-X franchises, and they’re finalizing plans for a third CTU location to open within
the year.

	Kevin Walker (left) was 20 and David 21 in 2006 when the brothers opened the doors to their first Custom Trucks Unlimited store in Auburn, Alabama.

The two current CTU operations employ 17 people, not counting the brothers. The 12,000-sq.-ft. Auburn store includes retail space as well as adjacent installation bays that house six lifts accessible through 12 drive-through bay doors, and the 8,000-sq.-ft. Columbus store features six bay doors and three lifts. The Auburn store is, the brothers say, a state-of-the-art facility that was built to impress.

Meyer Distributing Vice President of Sales and Marketing Nick Gramelspacher said that CTU has become a top customer for the national warehouse distributor through “…actually caring for their customers, service after the sale, being proactive in trying new products and not being afraid to think outside the box.” SEMA News recently spent some time in conversation with the Walkers about how they’ve developed their stores.

SEMA News: What do you feel has made your company successful? Who are your customers, and what draws them to your stores?

David Walker: Because we were so young when we started and were the sixth competitor in this market, we had to really sell people on our knowledge and our customer service—and we enjoyed it. We didn’t feel like we were selling you anything. If you came in with a truck, we would look up everything made for that vehicle as if it were our own. We would explain to you what we thought was good, and we weren’t afraid to give people our personal recommendations. We showed our customers what was being featured in the most current enthusiast magazines so that they would know what was hot, and we weren’t afraid of pricing those products.

A lot of our competitors missed the mark in that they wanted to push certain brands or certain packages that they were used to ordering. But our customers were looking to personalize their trucks, so we didn’t limit ourselves. We showed them anything and everything that was out there, and we’d even further modify something like a wheel with custom paint or a decal. We’d powdercoat suspension components so that they’d look different from what other people had. That has helped make us unique.

Kevin Walker: Our customer demographics are similar at both stores. They’re typically male and anywhere from 16 to 70 years old. But our large-ticket customers—people who spend in excess of $7,500—are typically 35 to 45 years old, and they’ll have us install a full-blown lift, wheels and tires, a spray-in bedliner, fender flares, custom paint and interior work all at once. They come in looking for an individualized project, and that is what we supply.

The 12,000-sq.-ft. Auburn store includes retail space as well as adjacent installation bays that house six lifts accessible through 12 bay doors, and the 8,000-sq.-ft. Columbus store features six bay doors and three lifts.

SN: Do you specialize in specific products or types of vehicles? If so, how did the company decide to target that market?

DW: We do all types of truck installations, but we are known primarily for our suspension work. When we opened our business, Kevin had a truck on 44-in. tires, and I had one on 49-in. tires. They both obviously had custom suspensions, and we wanted to make a presence in town. Before we opened, the shops in town were comfortable with only moderate suspensions, but Kevin and I had lifted trucks to accommodate anywhere from 33- to 54-in. tires. We now do at least one suspension lift a day every day of the week.

SN: How do you determine what new products to include in your inventory? What factors help you decide to take a chance on something different?

KW: We won’t sell anything that we wouldn’t put on our own trucks. If a company approaches us about selling something, it has to be a quality item. We won’t sell cheap or knock-off products. We look at our customers’ trucks the same way we look at our own. If we were to sell something of lesser quality, and that customer showed it to a knowledgeable friend, our reputation would suffer. Our customers ask us for advice about their trucks, and we have to be trusted to give them quality answers.

SN: What are your best marketing tools? How do you reach out to customers to stimulate sales?

DW: Kevin and I buy and customize a lot of trucks. We are usually the first people in the area to have the newest model. We put $7,500 to $10,000 worth of stuff on each one and drive them 10,000 miles. We usually have a buyer for each truck before we even get the first 2,500 miles on it. We also do a lot of dealership trucks, and the dealerships give us free reign. They don’t give us a budget or tell us what to build. They tell us to do what we think will sell. We usually have one of those trucks in our showroom. We sold seven of them out of our shop in the first six months of this year.

	While CTU does all types of truck installations, the stores are known primarily for suspension work. CTU does at least one suspension lift a day. “What differentiates us is that we are cutting edge in what we carry and install,” said David.

Our business has grown 20% year-over-year for the last nine years. Our growth has been so rapid that we really don’t have to consciously seek more business. We’re already working 60- to 70-hour workweeks, and we’re open six days a week. The Columbus store is going to pull a little bit of the market away from the Auburn store, but it will also give us more total reach.

SN: How do you train your staff to best serve the business and its customers?

DW: The guys we hire are enthusiasts. They were doing these types of installations for themselves when they were 16 years old. In fact, the first paycheck for half the guys I hire goes right back into what they drive—at employee cost. We just try to teach them about the products and the distinctions between—for instance, different types of suspension.

We teach our employees about our products by having them look up every possible product for a given make, model and year of truck. We have them look up a complete blackout package and price the whole thing, then do the same for an all-chrome package. Then we have them do the same thing for a different make, model and year. We make sure that our counterperson welcomes everyone who comes in the front door and that we have enough employees on hand so that every customer gets attention immediately. We also pay our guys by the hour rather than by commission. So whether they are learning or selling or installing or even cleaning, they’re making the same money.

Executive Summary Custom Trucks Unlimited 334-704-0909 www.ctuusa.com • 1817 Opelika Rd.    Auburn, AL 36830-3908 • 8238 N. Crossing Ct.    Columbus, GA 31808 • Owners: David and Kevin Walker. • 17 employees • Sells and installs truck accessories and components; specializes in custom packages and suspensions. • Sales have increased 20% each year of operation. • Offers customers high degree of personalized service. • Operates two facilities, including a 12,000-sq.-ft. store in Auburn, Alabama, and an 8,000-sq.-ft. store in Columbus, Georgia. Plans are nearing completion for a third store. • Biggest challenge is guarding against complacency.

When we first train somebody in sales, we train him on Line-X bedliners. It’s a very easy product to learn, and we have them memorize 10 facts about the product and then have them personalize three or four of those facts into their own sales pitch. We’ve found that if our employees know the products very well and can explain product manufacturing, installation and warranty information, people will be confident in their knowledge. And when you’ve educated customers about what they’re looking for, they’ll listen to the pricing you’re able to give them.

SN: How do you differentiate your business from others in the segment? What do you do to ensure that customers come to you rather than going to others?

DW: Our store in Auburn is one of the nicest truck stores in the South, if not in the country. We have about eight nice demonstration trucks out on the front pad, and we’re not afraid to tackle anything. The only thing that limits us is the customer’s wallet. We have done $35,000 builds on trucks, including superchargers, custom leather and custom bumpers, and we also do a ton of sustainable business—window tint, leather, hitches, dealership work. But what differentiates us is that we are cutting edge in what we carry and install.

SN: What have been the greatest challenges for your business?

DW: Keeping current is the biggest challenge. We need to keep on top of what’s appearing in magazines, and we need to keep our employees interested in what they are doing. That’s why we have them learn all different facets of the business—installations, front counter, working with different products and different vehicles. We’re always trying to keep things fresh.

SN: What have been your most rewarding successes?

KW: We’re very proud of our second location and the fact that we’re working on a third. We enjoy seeing our employees do well and move up in the company, taking on new challenges and accepting management responsibilities. Some of our guys have gone on to other things and are doing really well, and it’s cool to watch everybody grow up together and have success on their own. But we’re also proud of small things.

We had an older gentleman come into the store and tell us that his son had gone to a dealership with a problem on his truck. The dealership had given him what seemed to be a high estimate to fix the problem, so the son came to us for advice. We looked at the truck, decided that it was really a quickly fixable item, so we did the repair and didn’t charge him anything for it. The father had come in to thank us, and that made us feel very good.

SEMA News—August 2015

REQUIRED READING

SEMA Is on Your Side

Readers know that this is an industry of passion, so the media is quick to share the news and spread the word when legislation comes up that affects the industry. This is a good thing for readers, since legislation can change quickly, and staying up to date on the current status is important.

The following online and print outlets will keep you informed on the efforts of the association in terms of monitoring key legislative issues and other events such as the annual Collector Car Appreciation Day. If they are not already on your list of required readings, we recommend that you add them today.

SEMA News—August 2015

REQUIRED READING

SEMA Is on Your Side

Readers know that this is an industry of passion, so the media is quick to share the news and spread the word when legislation comes up that affects the industry. This is a good thing for readers, since legislation can change quickly, and staying up to date on the current status is important.

The following online and print outlets will keep you informed on the efforts of the association in terms of monitoring key legislative issues and other events such as the annual Collector Car Appreciation Day. If they are not already on your list of required readings, we recommend that you add them today.

SEMA News—August 2015

REQUIRED READING

SEMA Is on Your Side

Readers know that this is an industry of passion, so the media is quick to share the news and spread the word when legislation comes up that affects the industry. This is a good thing for readers, since legislation can change quickly, and staying up to date on the current status is important.

The following online and print outlets will keep you informed on the efforts of the association in terms of monitoring key legislative issues and other events such as the annual Collector Car Appreciation Day. If they are not already on your list of required readings, we recommend that you add them today.

SEMA News—August 2015

REQUIRED READING

SEMA Is on Your Side

Readers know that this is an industry of passion, so the media is quick to share the news and spread the word when legislation comes up that affects the industry. This is a good thing for readers, since legislation can change quickly, and staying up to date on the current status is important.

The following online and print outlets will keep you informed on the efforts of the association in terms of monitoring key legislative issues and other events such as the annual Collector Car Appreciation Day. If they are not already on your list of required readings, we recommend that you add them today.

SEMA News—August 2015

REQUIRED READING

SEMA Is on Your Side

Readers know that this is an industry of passion, so the media is quick to share the news and spread the word when legislation comes up that affects the industry. This is a good thing for readers, since legislation can change quickly, and staying up to date on the current status is important.

The following online and print outlets will keep you informed on the efforts of the association in terms of monitoring key legislative issues and other events such as the annual Collector Car Appreciation Day. If they are not already on your list of required readings, we recommend that you add them today.

SEMA News—August 2015

LEGISLATIVE AND TECHNICAL AFFAIRS
By Stuart Gosswein

Ramping Up for Off-Roaders

SEMA has created a dedicated section on the SEMA Action Network site for information on off-road issues. Visit www.semasan.com/offroad.

SEMA has sought to protect motorized recreation on public lands for decades—with good reason. SEMA’s mission is to protect enthusiasts from unreasonable government actions that threaten their rides, whether on the highway or backcountry trails. It’s also harder to market off-road products when there are fewer places to enjoy them.

The threats are very real. In recent decades, thousands of miles of roads and trails across the nation have been closed due to restrictive land-use designations. That trend continues. In California alone, motorized access to the backcountry deserts has shrunk from 50% open use on public lands in 1976 to 12.5% in 2007. Only 2% of the California desert is currently open to off-highway
vehicles (OHVs).

Politicians and regulators are being lobbied from many different directions on how to manage federal public lands. Within that battle, SEMA advocates for both dedicated OHV areas and shared-use land access that recognizes the importance of motorized recreation to the economy and for families and individuals.

Now is an especially crucial time to protect motorized recreation. Most federal public land is managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Each agency continues to review its travel-management policies, sometimes eliminating routes, trails and open areas that have existed for decades. In the U.S. Congress, legislation is pending that would add even more lands to the Wilderness System (no motorized access allowed), which currently encompasses more than 109 million acres (16% of the United States). President Obama is also threatening to create more National Monuments despite having designated 16 to date, which cover millions of acres.

In response, SEMA is expanding its commitment to OHV recreation, with a primary focus on the four-wheel segment. There have been many successes, but more can be done to coordinate efforts and communicate a stronger message. In fact, SEMA has created a dedicated section on the SEMA Action Network site for more information on off-road issues. Visit www.semasan.com/offroad.

Recent Successes

• Johnson Valley, California: Saved 96,000 acres from expansion of a U.S. Marine Corp base. The land is a dedicated OHV area and home to the King of the Hammers event.

• Hermosa Creek, Colorado: Congress designated 70,650 acres of federal land in the San Juan National Forest as the “Hermosa Creek Special Management Area,” guaranteeing continued motorized vehicle and snowmobile access.

• Cape Hatteras, North Carolina: Congress required the Department of the Interior to amend its 2012 Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreation Area rule to allow OHV access to seasonal routes for longer periods, create more reasonably sized Endangered Species Act (ESA) protected areas, and construct new vehicle access points and roads.

	In Johnson Valley, California, SEMA helped to save 96,000 acres from expansion of a U.S. Marine Corp base. The land is a dedicated OHV area and home to the King of the Hammers event.

Current Pursuits

• ROV Standard: Challenge an unnecessary mandatory safety standard proposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) in favor of an existing industry standard that allows for future design innovations and allows for a variety of ROV uses.

• Moab Utah Trail System: Defend against national monument designation and resulting closures.

• National Monuments: Support legislation in Congress to curtail the president’s power to unilaterally designate national monuments.

• Endangered Species Act: Support legislation in Congress to reform the 40-year-old ESA by requiring the federal government to release data used to make listings of threatened or endangered animals and plants, require that state data be included in the calculations when making such determinations, report how much money is spent on ESA-related lawsuits, and place reasonable caps on attorney fees.

• Bonneville Salt Flats: Pursue a comprehensive salt-replenishment program by the BLM, racing community and private landowners.

In the Spotlight: Utah Public Lands Initiative

SEMA is working with off-road groups, local communities, environmentalists, energy interests and a variety of other groups on the “Utah Public Lands Initiative,” which covers the state’s eastern counties (San Juan, Daggett, Uintah, Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Grand and Summit). Under the initiative, these eight counties are in the process of putting forward individual plans to finalize federal land designations, which include permanent protections for motorized recreation. U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) have led the effort to bring the various interests together and will introduce legislation in 2015 to finalize the agreements. In total, more than 20 million acres of land will be impacted by the initiative. President Obama does not intend to pursue a “Greater Canyonlands National Monument” while local, state and federal stakeholders seek to reach an accord.

Why Is This Bird Ruffling Our Feathers?

SEMA supports the efforts to establish and manage smaller sage grouse recovery zones in cooperation with private and public landowners.

Everyone wants the greater sage grouse to thrive. The sage grouse is a unique bird of the American West with an odd but captivating mating dance. It’s had a tough life in recent decades due to loss of habitat. Federal and state regulators and private landowners are now scrambling to help protect a bird that has a 165-million-acre range spanning 11 western states.

At issue is the Endangered Species Act and the clumsy mandates that emerge when a plant or animal is listed as threatened or endangered. The government frequently reacts by closing access to thousands of acres of land. In the process, more money is spent on lawyers and court battles than in intervening with active management to help the plant or animal survive.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is scheduled to decide by September whether or not to list the greater sage grouse. Federal, state and private stakeholders have been working for months and years to put enough protections in place to make that unnecessary. They are focused on three specific goals: reducing habitat fragmentation and lowering noise levels that frighten the bird, improving existing conditions, and reducing the threat of wildfires. Fires destroy sage bush, which is frequently replaced by invasive cheat grass and juniper trees, home to predators such as hawks and falcons.

SEMA supports the efforts to establish and manage smaller recovery zones in cooperation with private and public landowners. This could include restricting and rerouting OHV travel where habitat is being managed, without otherwise limiting motorized recreation and harming the region’s economy.

While we await a listing decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, SEMA-supported legislation has been introduced in Congress that would provide more time, if necessary, to develop adequate government/private sector land-use protections.