Turbo Tim's: Building Community and Culture in Auto Repair
Tim Suggs founded Turbo Tim’s Anything Automotive in Minneapolis to create a friendly, community-focused auto repair shop known for its welcoming culture—including shop cats and customer perks—that successfully implemented Tekmetric’s management system during the pandemic to streamline operations and support business growth, enabling expansion to a second location with plans to maintain its unique culture and staff development.
Tim Suggs started his career at a Lexus dealership but wanted to help more people by running things his own way. In 2006, at age 23, he opened Turbo Tim’s Anything Automotive in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Over the years, Turbo Tim's has become known as one of the friendliest and most fun shops in the nation, focusing on “average cars, average people.” The shop is expanding to a second location and creating a nonprofit side of the business.
Creating a Unique, Relatable Culture
The first five years were challenging, with a focus on high volume at low cost. Tim realized that putting people first would lead to success. He built a fun and professional atmosphere for both employees and customers. A key part of the shop’s culture came from Bobby, a stray cat Tim adopted, who became the shop’s mascot. The shop now has multiple cats and even chickens, which have become part of its identity. Customers with Bobby bumper stickers get 10% off for life. The shop’s waiting room offers nitro cold brew, energy drinks, La Croix, and games, creating a welcoming environment.
Implementing a New Shop Management System
Turbo Tim’s switched to Tekmetric during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team appreciated Tekmetric’s transparency features, allowing them to send estimates and vital information to customers easily, especially when face-to-face interactions were limited. Features like integrated payment processing and text-to-pay were also valued. Tekmetric streamlined processes and led to business growth, with record hours billed per repair order. Tim uses Tekmetric’s reports to manage staff fairly by tracking task distribution among technicians.
Expanding the Mechanic Shop
Tekmetric has made Tim more comfortable with opening a second location, just two miles from the original. New employees will start at the original shop to learn the culture. Half of the existing service writers will move to the new shop, and technicians will transition as business grows. Tim plans to experiment with creative marketing and advertising at the new location, using Tekmetric’s reports to analyze results. The animal situation at the new shop is still undecided.
Turbocharging the Community
Turbo Tim’s is starting a nonprofit, Community Automotive, to provide low-income auto repair. Tim’s wife, Rachel, co-owner of the shop, has a Ph.D. in sociology and is involved in community-building events. The team is passionate about giving back. Tim plans to hire a service worker to connect auto repair with social work, using Tekmetric to track the nonprofit’s impact. The goal is to help those in need without undercutting other shops, providing quality repairs to help people get back on their feet. Tim believes in mutual support and paying it forward.
To learn more about Turbo Tim’s and meet the team, visit turbotims.com.