Car Guy Garage, Inc. is a family run business that also employs a hard working group of friends.
We're real car guys who change our own oil and know the difference between a canooter valve and
a muffler bearing. From hard working shops building cars from scratch, to medical and education
institutions, we carry equipment from storage cabinets to tool boxes to decor to outfit your
workshops.
Staff Events:
Jim800-736-9308 ext. 842
HOW DID YOU END UP AT CAR GUY GARAGE?
I've been building web sites since I was in high school, before most people even knew about the Internet. I went to college and graduated with a degree in computer science, and while I was there, I built the biggest adult joke site on the Internet on a server right in my college apartment. After college I worked at a few places where I was able to put my web and software knowledge to use in the business world, and the many people I worked with taught me how to conduct business online instead of just playing around with jokes.
One summer evening years later, my brother and I were in a Chicago garage that he was renting at the time. He was welding together a hot rod, I was drinking a beer and being a supportive audience member. He had a bunch of tools and spare parts in cabinets in his garage that were pretty new, but already starting to fall apart. I started to look at his whole messy garage and that's when it hit me: someone needs to cater to the guys who hang out in garages. That night my brother and I dreamed up a whole bunch of cool garage ideas, and the next morning the whole thing still sounded like a good idea. So I quit my job, which was scary, and started CarGuyGarage.com. Before I knew it I was overwhelmed with orders running everything on my own, so my brother had to quit his job to help me. We've been growing ever since.
WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO EVERYDAY?
When I started Car Guy Garage, I did everything from managing the web site to answering the phones to taking care of billing and accounting. Thankfully, these days I've got a bunch of great people working with me here that help out a lot. Being that my background is in computer programming, what I try and focus on is writing software that allows us to really provide the best customer service possible and a better shopping experience for our customers. I've written several applications for the company that allow us to do a lot of different things more efficiently such as automatically sending orders to the proper warehouses, track notes on customer orders, easily add and update products on the web site, and even manage our accounting. I try to stay on top of everything going on in the company so that I can constantly improve things on our end and yours.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I'm not the kind of person who needs to be told what to do all the time, so it's nice being able to go to work and complete projects on my own timeline and with my own expectations now that I'm my own boss. Add to that going to work to see your friends and family everyday, and it's not really a job anymore.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCT ON CAR GUY GARAGE?
I like the 8 foot wide diamond plate combo cabinets that we carry. They arrive at your place fully assembled and everyone that sees them has to make a comment about them. But one of my favorite things about those cabinets is that they are made by a small shop that we work with, and when we call the shop with questions, the guys literally put down the welding torches to answer the phone. I like working with small hard working shops right here in the U.S. where we can design and build almost anything.
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN OUTSIDE OF WORK?
Of course I like to follow racing: IRL, NASCAR, and NHRA. Going to races is always a good time, too. I'll be at the Brickyard 400 this year! During the summer you'll find me camping, boating, and fishing. It's nice to be able to get away from Chicago, head up to Fremont Wisconsin to the Wolf River and just forget about computers for a weekend. I also enjoy music to the point of having a ridiculous stereo with far too many components, trying to achieve the ultimate listening experience for blues, country, rock, and everything in between. Oddly enough, I do like to run for fun, too. I've done two Chicago Marathons so far, we'll see about this year...
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING/MEMORABLE MOMENT AT CAR GUY GARAGE?
I'll never forget the first order that we got as Car Guy Garage. After months of working on the web site, the first order finally came in for a garage clock, and my brother and I were dancing and jumping around we were so excited. It was an official confirmation that we weren't the only two guys in the world who liked to hang out in garages, and that this crazy idea wasn't so crazy after all. I now have that same garage clock in my living room (my brother bought it for me for Christmas), it's my reminder to go after your dreams and don't regret any decisions.
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY CAR, WHAT WOULD YOU GET?
I'd like to have a 1931 Ford Model A. They were built to last forever for the everyday person, and every summer I still see a few rolling around the streets of Chicago. I think the cool thing about that car is that it's not about the money (they aren't that expensive), it's about the person who owns the car and takes care of it so that it can still cruise the streets over 70 years after it was built. There's true car guy love and respect for the Model A's.
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Tim800-736-9308 ext. 840
HOW DID YOU END UP AT CAR GUY GARAGE?
The story starts with me and my brother drinking beers in a Chicago alley garage. I was building a 1954 Chrysler street rod (Ford powered). He was being the "smart guy" as usual, dreaming up big ideas. We were both pretty drunk but even then we could see that there was probably a lot of room for improvement in the lives of the average car guy. My brother started up the web site on the side. He soon got too busy to handle it alone. Having a background with extended warranty claims, service writing, and building cars, I decided to quit my job at Strange Engineering to help my brother out. Now here I am, half owner of a huge car world. The last few years have flown by. There have been lots of ups and downs. We have hired and fired looking for the best group of guys to work with. I have met a lot of people and made a lot of friends. I feel we are the best site for storage and organization on the internet.
WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO EVERYDAY?
Where do I begin? I Manage the call center, look for and test new products, and build and quote custom garages. I try to keep all of the customers happy. I try my hardest to be fair in every situation that I encounter. I look at every situation through both my eyes, and the person's that I'm working with. I have to make sure that all of our customers are satisfied and that my employees are happy and enjoy being here. If there is ever a problem I'm the man to speak to. I will be able to work something out.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I have a lot of experience and love the fact that I can use my experience to help others plan and build their dream garages. As a car guy myself, when I see finished pictures of a person's garage and hear the happiness in there voice, it makes me feel good inside. I know that sounds lame but it's true.I also like being on the phone everyday talking with people all over America about weather and local events. It's like being on a non-stop road trip. The shops we work with are also really great. We make the blueprints and designs. They cut, weld, powder coat, and machine it all. When I think about how the world always seems to be in such a rush it's hard to grasp the volume of custom fabricated garage stuff that we make and the amount of products we deliver.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCT ON CAR GUY GARAGE?
Just dream of your self pouring a beer from your diamond plate kegerator and playing with your in house personal elevator. How pimp is that!
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I am very active outside of work. I think my passion is building custom cars. I also love going to car events and car shows. I really like anything having to do with the outdoors from flying down the lakefront on a fast boat to cruising to Wisconsin for a beer and a brat with my motorcycle. If you ever see a glow in the dark mustang at the track or driving down the street with "TWEKD1" as the plate, that's me. For all the car girls out there, I am single.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING/MEMORABLE MOMENT AT CAR GUY GARAGE?
I'm pretty clumsy. I will be in a rush, cut a corner too fast, and catch a shoulder on a doorway. This happens about two times a week. When this happens the office goes quiet for a minute, then they all laugh at me. I am one of those people that has trouble sitting in an office chair all day. With this in mind, Yes, I have fallen backwards out of my chair right onto my back. Again everyone here laughs at my pain. One time, don't ask me why or how, but I walked into a cabinet mounted to the wall. This required a short hospital visit and six stitches. It left a lump on my forehead for weeks, but I survived.
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY CAR, WHAT WOULD YOU GET?
I would get a big block De Tomaso Pantera for my city car and a 1958 Lincoln Continental Mark for nice Sunday drives. Both are cars I will own some day! So look for me in them.
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Lori800-736-9308 ext. 850
HOW DID YOU END UP AT CAR GUY GARAGE?
That's an easy question to answer. My oldest son Jim is the head Car Guy. He's the brains behind the web site. His courage, commitment and perseverance enabled him to create CarGuyGarage.com, an internet phenomenon.
What more can a mother ask for? I'm so proud of him. I must've done something right.
WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO EVERYDAY?
I'm the silent mom in the background filling a variety of jobs from payroll to accounts payable to inputting shipping information and filing federal & state taxes. I created the employee manual, I handle our company freight claims, verify charge card charges, provide health insurance, and whatever else it takes to keep harmony.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I like having the opportunity to see and be part of my son's dream company, and being able to watch the growth and creative teamwork.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCT ON CAR GUY GARAGE?
My absolutely must-have item on Car Guy is our *free 3D CAD drawing. Having no skills for putting a garage together, I'm amazed that with only a few scribbles and dimensions Ryan (our intelligent, quick learner) and LaVaughn (our quiet guru) can provide me with a visual picture of what my garage can look like with all the bells and whistles. Amazing!
* For information on free quotes call us at 1-800-736-9308.
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN OUTSIDE OF WORK?
Actually, I have spent my time away from work taking care of my mom who passed away recently at the age of 92. My present goal is to introduce more fun into my world outside of work, although from a mother's perspective I'm experiencing more joy than a person can possibly want with my son's success.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING/MEMORABLE MOMENT AT CAR GUY GARAGE?
My most embarrassing moment at Car Guy Garage was when I forgot to transfer Robert's payroll to his personal account. There isn't a payday that goes by that I don't replay in my mind his embarrassment of having a cute teller inform him there were no funds in his account. Sorry Robert, it will never happen again!
My most memorable moment was when Car Guy Garage celebrated a Christmas party at Chili's and continued to celebrate at the Chicago Wolves Hockey game which is adjacent to the restaurant. I tried to give the guys a lift from the restaurant over to the game in my XG350 but it could not accommodate the six of us comfortably. So Tim, my younger son, opened my trunk, crawled in and said, "If there is ever a problem I will be able to work something out".
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY CAR, WHAT WOULD YOU GET?
Recently, my sons and I were in a car accident and my car was totaled. So I can honestly say after test driving what I felt like every car out there from the Mini Cooper to the Crossfire and every car in between I repurchased a XG350 Hyundai. It may have been more of an emotional decision influenced by my comfort zone but I really do enjoy her.
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LaVaughn800-736-9308
HOW DID YOU END UP AT CAR GUY GARAGE?
I used to work with Jim at another company before he started Car Guy Garage. Car Guy was growing very quickly. Jim gave me a tour of the office and told me about his plans. I was so impressed that I put in my two weeks with my employer, and the rest is history.
WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO EVERYDAY?
I do a little bit of everything including code, graphics, reviewing stats, and adding products. I'm a pretty fast learner. I think that's one of the reasons that Jim decided to bring me on board here.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
That's easy. There is no dress code. It's nice to be able to get up and think of how I can do my job better instead of worrying about what I'm going to wear. We are constantly looking at the site and making changes on a daily basis. We have no one standing over our shoulder forcing us to do things. We are just driven by passion and personal commitment to improvement. It's a wonderful and rare opportunity so I'm just enjoying every minute of it.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCT ON CAR GUY GARAGE?
I like the linkable garage lighting. It looks cool and is also functional. C'mon, who couldn't use some cool lights!?
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I like live music, movies, games, and sports. Go Bears! I've also done the Chicago Marathon three times since I've been in Chicago.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING/MEMORABLE MOMENT AT CAR GUY GARAGE?
I was told that dress was pretty casual so I showed up early on my first day with a polo shirt and jeans which, by the way, was not acceptable at my previous job, even on Casual Fridays. Then Tim pulls up in his huge truck and when he gets out he's wearing jogging pants and house shoes. It took a while to register that "casual" has a different meaning here, but that was my first impression of Car Guy Garage.
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY CAR, WHAT WOULD YOU GET?
I'd get a 2009 Maybach 62S... then I'd sell it, and with all that cash I'd pay my grad school loans and buy a Mustang GT or a Bently. I love the look of those cars.
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Robert800-736-9308 ext. 846
HOW DID YOU END UP AT CAR GUY GARAGE?
I entered the Car Guy Garage world back in 2008 through a fellow employee here when they were expanding their workforce. I was looking to get into something a bit closer to the automotive field yet still retain a technical aspect.
WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO EVERYDAY?
I do a wide variety of things. Providing customer service, organizing and adding new products to the site, and low-level user optimization. I also manage the parcel tracking system.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
The people that I work with. These are real car guys that have real garages and real race cars. We experience the same car projects and organizational adventures that our customers experience in their garages. It's not often that you can work at a place where everyone shares the same passion as yourself - having a functional garage and some fast rides!
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCT ON CAR GUY GARAGE?
That would have to be our Aluminum Garage Storage Cabinet lineup. These are they type of cabinets that dream garages are made of. They're race inspired and race proven which makes them perfect for the true car guy. They come fully assembled to your door and are ready to go.
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I like to work on my cars ('91 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX Drag Car and my daily driven '05 Cadillac CTS-V) in my garage and then race them at the nearby Great Lakes and Byron drag strips. I like to hang out with my friends and family, go to the gym to train and stay healthy, watch movies, play PC/video games once and a while, and chill out at the local car spots and car shows.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING/MEMORABLE MOMENT AT CAR GUY GARAGE?
It had to have been Halloween 2008 where Car Guy Garage joined in the community festivities at a local merchant circle. We had to come dressed up and distribute candy to a parade of school children that were trick or treating. Me and our Sales Manager, Tim, decided to run around the neighborhood and start scaring the various locals and children throughout the day. I went home that day thinking that I literally got paid to run around spooking every person in sight. How can you go wrong with that?! There's also the multiple times Tim has injured himself while walking around the showroom or the office, I never thought that office chairs or wall cabinets could be so deadly!
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY CAR, WHAT WOULD YOU GET?
This is a trick question, there are so many to chose from! From the USDM perspective I'd go with a Corvette C6 ZR1, 87 Buick GNX or the Cadillac CTS-V2. From the JDM perspective I like the Toyota Supra TT Mark IV, Mitsubishi Evolution 8/9 MR, Galant VR-4, Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R, Nissan Z32 300ZX TT or an Honda NSX-R. Lastly from the EDM perspective I like the BMW M3/5 series or the Mercedes Benz C/S63 AMG. There's more to list but I don't want this to turn into the Gran Turismo car lineup, haha!
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Ryan800-736-9308 ext. 844
HOW DID YOU END UP AT CAR GUY GARAGE?
I found the application online at Monster.com and applied. Tim called me up and gave me an over the phone interview. I passed it, they asked me to come in and interview in person. I made my way to the office and presented myself. I talked a lot (or so they say) and they liked that. They offered me a job and I accepted.
WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO EVERYDAY?
I work with customers online and over the phone with their questions and comments. I also build the quotes in three dimensions for customers who need that level of detail when planning their garage.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I enjoy the opportunity to help people get what they want for their garages or homes.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCT ON CAR GUY GARAGE?
I'm a big fan of the aluminum garage cabinets we carry. They look great, work awesome and I could color match them to my car! The car dollies we carry are also really handy.
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I tend to spend my free time with friends or family. Otherwise I work on my muscle cars and hunt for classic cars in unrestored condition. (www.carsinbarns.blogspot.com)
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING/MEMORABLE MOMENT AT CAR GUY GARAGE?
I sneeze a lot, I don't mean a few times a day, I mean I sneeze 7 to 8 times in a row within a minute. This happens weekly. And they always wait until the end to see if I beat the previous record. I am up to 10 sneezes in a row.
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY CAR, WHAT WOULD YOU GET?
Already getting it, 09 Challenger R/T Classic, and finishing my 71 Challenger R/T.
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