• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Making the Leap to Custom Interiors

March 5, 2012 By Nadeem Muaddi

Making the leap from doing ordinary auto upholstery repairs and installations to focusing solely on custom interiors can be scary. There’s no one right way to do it and there are bound to be obstacle any way you choose. We can, however, learn from each others’ experiences.

Take, for example, Ace Eckleberry of ACE Custom Upholstery & Rod Shop in Fairfield, Illinois. He recently reduced his staff and downsized from a 73,000 sq. ft shop to a 6,000 sq. ft shop – not because his business is suffering, but so that he can focus on doing what he loves most: custom interiors.

Ace, who writes a regular column for Hotrod & Restoration, explains:

The biggest adjustment this move has required is space reduction. It’s been overwhelming trying to reduce inventory and manage the new construction while staying on top of our already heavy schedule. The move is intended to help us continue specializing in higher-end interiors and move away from a lot of the time-consuming jobs that don’t carry the same profit margins. The key has been creating efficiencies in our space and employees. […]

I’ve seen a couple of negatives to our specialization and downsizing. I’m not sure exactly why, but some of the local and walk-in customers perceive our downsizing as a failure in business though it’s exactly the opposite. Local revenue is less than 10 percent of our gross. Our market for higher-end and specialized jobs is growing by leaps and bounds.

We’re receiving exactly the types of jobs I want in here. … The negative is our shop is seeing fewer local repairs, but this is resulting in more time to progress on the specialized jobs.

Fewer employees and specialized offerings are turning into higher-quality and more-efficient work. As a shop owner, I can also attest to the tremendously lower stress levels that have accompanied downsizing.

Easier management, lower overhead, better shop morale, and employees who value the job and want to hone their abilities have been a pleasant by-product to these changes. I can also now step back into the heart of my shop a little more to concentrate on innovations and the little details. [more]

Of course, less local customers means that Ace has to put a lot of time and effort into networking and fostering strong relationships within the industry and custom hotrod community. He explains much of that in the article from which this snippet came, “Evaluating the Results of Major Business Changes“.

Based on my experience, though, most auto trim shops tend to do a little bit of both – taking advantage of ordinary repair jobs to stay profitable and, whenever possible, welcoming custom work to break up the monotony and show their customers a little bit of what they can do.

We want to know: Have you made the leap from ordinary repairs to focusing solely on custom interiors? Why or why not, and what obstacles do you face?

Filed Under: Archive, Better Business Tagged With: ACE Custom Upholstery & Rod Shop, Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior, Hotrod & Restoration

Primary Sidebar

anal porno bangbros rus porno yaşlı porno konulu porno olgun porno porno izle sarışın porno bakire sex 69 porno

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation - Right Rail Ad 3
  • Leather Craft
  • Hyde Leather
  • Albright's Supply
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • OEM+ Banner Ad - The Hog Ring
  • Keyston Bros

THR Favorites

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - French Seam

Should You Reinforce French Seams?

To back or not to back? That is the question. … [more] about Should You Reinforce French Seams?

The Hog Ring - How To Get Your Trim Shop in the News

Here’s How To Get Your Auto Upholstery Shop in the News

Ever wonder why some auto upholstery shops … [more] about Here’s How To Get Your Auto Upholstery Shop in the News

The Hog Ring - Watch Carlex Design Customize a Nissan GT-R

Watch Carlex Design Trim a Nissan GT-R

Mondays can be a drag — especially those that … [more] about Watch Carlex Design Trim a Nissan GT-R

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - M&M Hot Rod Interiors

Shop Profile: M&M Hot Rod Interiors

Since 1982, M&M Hot Rod Interiors in … [more] about Shop Profile: M&M Hot Rod Interiors

The Hog Ring - 8 ways to make your trim shop more professional

8 Ways to Make Your Shop Professional

Auto upholstery shops that look and act … [more] about 8 Ways to Make Your Shop Professional

The Hog Ring - Auto Upholstery News - Dan Kirkpatrick Interiors

10 Questions for Trim Master Dan Kirkpatrick

With so much attention cast on auto … [more] about 10 Questions for Trim Master Dan Kirkpatrick

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • This Family-Run Manufacturer is Raising the Bar for Convertible Tops
  • Queens of the Stone Age to Rock SEMA Fest 2025 in Vegas
  • PETA Claims Renault Is Going Fully Leather-Free — Is It True?
  • Trimmer Richard Buczynski Dies at 87
  • Ontario Car Scene Unites to Support Beloved Upholsterer in Critical Condition

Recent Comments

  • Edward Munday on Hidden Mouse Nest? How to Charge for the Extra Dirty Work
  • Jack on Keyston Bros. Acquires DLT Corporation
  • Brodie Smith on Aston Martin Just Introduced a New Convertible DB12
  • THE CAPTAIN on 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers
  • Dmei on Star Wars Seat Covers are ‘So Wizard’

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in