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Even a car needs a nice homeGarage 'enhancements' are big business for NevadanGarages are no longer just the place to keep the car or store excess boxes of junk. No, in recent years the garage has come to be an "extension of the home." Some of these garages may even outdo less-spiffy abodes. Clean, well-organized attractive garages are in. Cluttered, oil-stained, catch-all storage spaces are out. The garage-enhancement industry is also very definitely 'in.' While the consumer is putting in new cabinets, closets and kitchen fixtures, the garage is no longer overlooked.
What had started with a $225,000 investment has turned into a venture that grossed $800,000 in 2006. Buck hopes to crack the $1 million mark this year. KEEPING HIS DAY JOB Free time wasn't the only motivating factor. Buck admits firefighters don't exactly get rich. It's the love of the job that keeps him answering the fire alarm, even though his business has grown to the point that it would afford him a comfortable lifestyle. The garage-remodeling business wasn't such a stretch for Buck. He had worked in trades, including construction and roofing, prior to buying the Nevada PremierGarage territory. The franchisee really didn't need a lot of prep time. "I thought it was such a great concept, " he said, "I knew people would be interested. Within three months, I was ready to open my doors." It wasn't a get-rich-quick scheme by any means. Buck put in the requisite three years that many experts say it takes a business to recoup its start-up costs. "I wouldn't say that I've made back everything, but (I'm) pretty darn close," the Douglas County firefighter maintained. That wasn't without effort. PremierGarage has no retail stores. Warehouse facilities carry the brand's merchandise, but PremierGarage has to come to the consumer. Buck does that through intense marketing, which includes direct mail, newspaper and trade-show ads, as well as premium search-engine placement. The nationwide target market for PremierGarage is men and women, ages 35 and up, who have household incomes of $125,000 a year or more. The 78 million baby boomers approaching age 60 tend to have enough discretionary income to tinker with their garages, the corporate literature points out. HOME IMPROVEMENT Once the potential customer contacts PremierGarage, Buck or another employee comes out for a free estimate. Soon, the homeowner is looking at brand-new garage cabinets, floor coverings or both. The once-utilitarian garage is transformed into an "Upscale car unit." PremierGarage products include PremierOne Flooring. The proprietary hybrid-polymer formula typically only takes a day to dry, compared to the average five to 10 days required of similar products. PremierOne comes in 16 different colors and finish fixtures. PremierGarage also offers PremierStrength cabinet construction. Off-the-wall mounting and one-inch-thick steel have proven popular with homeowners. Concealed European hinges are even available. On a practical note, there is also "sweeping" space underneath to help prevent rodent and insect infestation, Buck notes. The national PremierGarage chain was founded in Phoenix in 1999. The company now has 86 franchisees in 38 states and three Canadian provinces. Jaime Buck is just hoping that Las Vegans will be as interested in sprucing up their garages as their northern neighbors are. He has a warehouse in Las Vegas with a small showroom, and one in Reno. Merchandise is cut in Phoenix but Buck adds his own customized features. "The cabinets actually get built in our shop," he continued. "We carry a lot of different shapes and sizes. We don't want people to think we are the Home Depot." After all, the garage may be the first thing the homeowner sees. "People enter through their garages," Buck pointed out. "It is the front door to the house." vmiller@lvbusinesspress.com 871-6780 x331 |
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