Posted 3:53 am Sunday, June 14, 2009
In The Works: Christian Car Service Coming To Tyler
By BRIAN PEARSON
Business Editor
Paul Welch's career took an unlikely turn thanks to his Houston church.
Business Editor
Paul Welch's career took an unlikely turn thanks to his Houston church.
The longtime Sysco Foods employee attended church with Christian Brothers Automobile Corp. founder Mark Carr, and members of his Bible study class had signed on as franchisees.
"My neighbor across the street bought a franchise," Welch said. "I was in a Bible study with three other men who bought franchises.
"I was intrigued by it. I didn't think it was really something for me. I really didn't know anything about cars. After I continued to hear good things about the company, I decided to check into it. I was at a point in my life where I decided I wanted to do something on my own."
The company didn't necessarily want anyone with car knowledge, he said. After meeting with Carr, Welch was given two possible sites to launch a franchise.
He chose Flower Mound near Dallas and opened a Christian Brothers franchise in 2001
"It's been great, a life-changing experience for me and my family," Welch said. "We're able to do things we never would have been able to do had we not made that step."
Since the Houston-based Christian Brothers began franchising in 1997, it has stuck primarily to major metropolitan areas.
Now, the company has targeted Tyler for at least one, perhaps two, franchises.
Josh Wall, the company's Forth Worth-based vice president of franchise development, said the company hopes to open a repair center by mid-2010 on either south of Loop 323 on Broadway Avenue or on the northwest side of the loop.
"We'd like to do one if not two locations in Tyler," Wall said.
The company has almost 60 franchises nationwide, primarily in major cities, he said.
Christian Brothers plans to expand into smaller communities, with Tyler, Waco and College Station atop the list. The shops employ about a dozen workers.
"We definitely see a need there," Wall said. "Tyler is so close to our largest market in Dallas and Forth Worth and a natural progression of our brand. We're excited about coming to smaller markets in Texas."
Christian Brothers was established in Houston in 1982 but did not begin franchising until 1997.
Founder Mark Carr got the idea for the business when an auto mechanic in his church congregation approached him and wanted help in opening a business, Wall said. Today, the company has 58 franchises spread out over nine states, with a 59th to open Monday, he said, adding that another 15 are under construction.
"We've already been to the Tyler market to do an initial look at where we might fit," Wall said. "We're actively looking for franchisees in the market. As soon as we have that family, we're going to be working on developing a site there."
"We just trust that God is going to provide us a family at the right time."
So how do auto mechanics and religion fit together?
"It's much like faith in any part of life," Wall said. "It works very well together in concert. Our franchisees don't have highly developed automotive repair backgrounds. They're men and women who have served in mid- and upper management in corporate America. We have teachers, attorneys, accountants, architects and ministers.
"It's a wide array of different vocations that come in. The major thing that unites us all is our faith in Jesus."
Being a Christian, though, is not a qualification for being a customer or employee, he emphasized.
"Our customers are Christians and non-Christians alike," he said. "We'll repair anyone's car. We're not actively prosthletizing within our business.
"Naturally our franchisees have a relationship with God, and they may have a lifestyle that shows that. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we're happy to serve any customer."
Aside from the Christian theme, the repair shops distinguish themselves with look and atmosphere. The outsides look like a house, and the insides look like a fancy doctor's office.
"The biggest thing our customers notice right off the bat is the look and feel of our business," Wall said. "We really distinguish ourselves by having a building that looks like a home. It's nice brick with an Austin stone and high-end landscaping. Everything is immaculately kept. We are a very clean company."
The lobbies have hardwood floors, leather sofas and Christian-themed art on the walls. The owners are "clean cut" and well-dressed, Wall said.
Customers get pampered with free coffee, soft drinks and water, he said.
"They're treated well and welcomed warmly," he said. "Everything is designed to make that customer feel like they're at home.
"We just find that today a lot of businesses don't want to make their customers feel at home. They want to move them through."
Bibles will join the usual periodicals in the waiting area, and Wall promised that the magazines will be up to date and not just ancient issues of Field and Stream and Auto World.
"We try to have a little more recent periodicals," he said. "We'll have Sports Illustrated, Life and Time. You're going to have choice reading material while you're waiting for your car to be serviced.
"We want to have our customers be comfortable there. We often have customers who fall asleep on our couches."
Want to know about a construction project around town? Contact Business Editor Brian Pearson at 903-596-6280 or bpearson@tylerpaper.com.
