It’s not often you see a body shop owner “looking for a life coach and mentor” -- come to say, the cliché is collision center operators never seeking such help.
Surely not in those terms, or much aid at all, but Casey Koehler doesn’t mind.
“I’m the biggest guy for learning from other people’s mistakes,” he said. “I’m open to try different ways.”
The owner of KP Kustoms in Magnolia, MS, is still looking “for someone who has done it, someone with grit. It’s more interesting to talk with” that sort of source.
One possible connection: an owner of three New Jersey automotive services businesses, active in “blue-collar millionaire” circles.
From one angle, he’s squarely part of the younger generation literally taking ownership of the industry. From a second side, his asking for heavy help in doing awesome, manifesting in multiple ways, makes him an outlier.
This all comes as Koehler has been running his shop about four years, and wants guidance for the next stage.
Preparing for New Digs 10x Current Operation
KP Kustoms' current shop floor.It’s also arriving as Koehler is about to buy a 22,000-square-foot building in nearby McComb. The shop part of it will be 16,000 square feet, compared to a current 1,600. Three units will be leased to other businesses.
“We keep running out of space,” Koehler said.
The first time he did so was when he outgrew a 10-by-20-foot corner of his grandmother’s welding shop.
“I couldn’t fit a ’67 Impala in there and be able to walk around it. Had to jury-rig a thing on the door.”
First client: Casey Koehler. He painted his own vehicle first.
He’ll use the current for his own cars, once the new one is ready.
Topline revenue has climbed steadily: $19,000 three years ago, to about $30,000 the year after, and $120,000 in 2024. His post seeking professional feedback specified someone bringing in at least double last year’s take.
That’s not much, you say, but some industry guys have work boots older than Koehler, not to mention careers.
Koehler is 25.
Start Small, Focus on Excellence
Koehler detoured a bit before that first space, with work on cell phone towers and oil refineries. Then he “tired of working for someone else … just another number -- when I knew my passion could take me farther.”
Along the way, he and wife Angelique were frugal. They have a paid-off “tiny house” -- less than half the size of his current shop -- and owe just $10,000 on the shop itself. Angelique worked as Casey got started; his son Luca is a regular presence. The couple also have a daughter, Mila.
Koehler’s a fan of faith-based financial guru Dave Ramsey’s podcasts -- more advice-seeking -- on “reducing debt and making money to give it away.”
Koehler at work in his shop.
For an idea of the mindset he cultivates, social media posts show largely family, especially his son; a slew of trashed classics restored and ending with mint paint jobs; and quality of life quotations, memes and videos.
The last group often includes ideas of hard work today coupled with long-term focus -- building value, or not waiting for the future to simply arrive, or reviewing progress-so-far with gratitude. One pictures the linear threefold cord of learning, doing and improving leading to success.
Specific application to custom cars and the later addition of collision repair was “the drive of wanting to work in auto body and restore” things.
“Just a Southern-raised, country boy making old, nasty junk new and nice,” Koehler said.
Ready to Staff Up
Now he’s leaning into an earlier commitment to “do it for myself and see what we can do with this thing.”
A November Facebook post told customers the shop would no longer do low-budget work that can’t be done to Koehler’s standards: “[I]t’s clear,” he wrote, “that high-quality work cannot be achieved at a discounted rate … we will no longer take on low-cost projects that compromise our quality and your satisfaction.”
The shop hasn’t advertised, though a recent post asked for advice -- of course -- on how far out the radius of an ad should be, and what outlets give the best results.
Simply asking his current followers in early January to recommend his shop page to their networks added 300 followers to a then-current 900. Another 300 have since followed that boost.
Koehler has one full-time worker and the shop does three to four vehicles a month. He’ll hire at least two more for the new digs, and expects to work on “easily 10 or more cars a month” on the collision side.
“We like the collision work -- cookie cutter, makes good money -- but my passion, my joy is in the old cars. This stuff ain’t easy and it’s not cheap.”
He plans to pay “about 40 to 50% [of fees] to the techs,” he said.
Select repairs will come into play, as well.
There are “mom-and-pop” mechanics -- alignment, oil, brakes -- in town, “but we’ll do more specialized, and charge less.”
For being constantly in learning mode, Koehler credits “his mom and her mom,” who are both teachers.
OK. But do you think it’s common, Koehler is asked, for body shop guys to ask for a mentor in their work?
“I do for anyone who wants to do something with their life.”
Paul Hughes