A Brief history of Ben’s Workshop
In 1979, Ben Schotz started Ben’s Workshop in a single bay shop with little more than his tools and an answering machine. Within a few short years, he had expanded into a 10 bay facility equipped with all the tools and equipment required to properly service and repair the Mercedes Benz automobiles of the day. The shop at 5th and Lamar enabled Ben’s Workshop to expand to 5 technicians with a fully stocked parts department run by a qualified parts specialist. As the customer base grew and Mercedes Benz automobiles evolved, Ben’s Workshop continued to acquire the equipment, training and quality parts required to provide the best service possible. In 1991, Ben purchased property for a new, expanded facility that would be custom tailored for the future of Ben’s Workshop. Designed and built for one purpose, the new shop took shape over the course of the following year, and in 1992, Ben’s Workshop moved into it’s new and current home on Pressler Street.
By now, Ben’s Workshop had developed a persona of its own. The shop had grown to a state of the art facility. Under the guidance of its founder, Ben’s Workshop had developed a sound reputation for reliable service and repairs that was unparalleled in the industry. The growth of Ben’s Workshop also offered a unique opportunity to its personnel. As of 2009, four of the eleven employees at Ben’s Workshop have been with us over 20 years. Four more are approaching that number. All of our technicians have received all or the bulk of their training at Ben’s Workshop. Nearly all of our employee’s have built their future under the roof of Ben’s Workshop and are dedicated to its success. Our service manager is in his 40th year in the automotive repair industry, 23 of those at Ben’s Workshop.
In February of 2007, Ben’s Workshop was acquired by Bill and Jennifer Morey. Bill had grown up in the automotive industry. His father is a retired executive vice president of General Motors, and Bill has many years of experience at all levels of dealership operation and a number of years consulting to dealership organizations. Starting a new family in 2004, Bill sought to settle down and find a place in the “independent” world as a way to operate a hands on business, in close contact with his cliental and employees. He discovered Ben’s Workshop and recognized the unique nature of the operation. As it turned out, Ben had been considering what to do about retirement and this offered an opportunity for both men. Ben stayed on for 3 months after the purchase to help with the transition. Bill opened a new chapter in Ben’s Workshop with a fresh eye towards growth opportunity while maintaining the quality service and fairness that have been the traditions of Ben’s Workshop since the beginning. All of the employee’s of Ben’s Workshop remained when Bill and Jennifer took over the reins. Although a few have moved on, the bulk of the personnel remain unchanged. Several seasoned employees’ have advanced to positions that offer long term opportunities for growth and a few new faces have been added.
In May of 2008, Ben’s Workshop was selected by Mercedes Benz of North America to be one of forty Independent Service Providers (ISP”s) nationwide to participate in a pilot program opening access to the Mercedes Benz Technical Assistance center (TAC) to independent service shops for the first time ever. Ben’s Workshop participated vigorously in the program and established lasting contacts in the MB organization. The exchange of information between Ben’s Workshop and TAC was inspiring. MBNA learned firsthand that competent, well run, knowledgeable independent service facilities were supporting the owners of Mercedes Benz automobiles that were unable or chose not to go to dealerships. The proper and competent repair of Mercedes Benz automobiles is crucial to support the value and extend the life span of vehicles that are no longer in warranty or are in the hands of their second, third or fourth generation owners. The support of independent facilities that provide this service is crucial to Mercedes Benz and their dealers both in the sale of parts and the maintained value and sales of pre owned vehicles. The technical knowledge that TAC provided proved to be extremely valuable. The research time required to diagnose new problems and correctly repair vehicles was reduced in many cases. This sort of collaborative repair procedure has always been a part of the Ben’s Workshop technique and Ben’s Workshop has always maintained and cultivated collaborative associations and contacts that exist in the independent repair world. |
