SHOP STATS: Lacey Collision Center Location: Lacey, Washington Owner: Lacey Collision Staff Size: 55 Shop Size: 35,000 square feet Annual Revenue: $10 million
From pawn shop to grain mill
In 1992, Lacey Collision moved from a small shop that was formerly a pawn shop into a 35,000 square foot location and former grain mill down the road.
While the shop has been in the building for the last 30 years, from the outside it still has many of the characteristics of the previous business. The signature look, with the large domed roof and wide open work area has been a perfect fit for the body shop model and has stayed the same throughout the years. The ceilings are 35 feet tall and the shop can fit more than 400 cars inside it at a time.
“There’s even the railroad out back that used to feed right inside to the mill,” says Jeff Durkin, the shop’s general manager.
Remodeling the lobby
To spice up the shop’s look, it underwent a major remodel in 2006. The previous version of the building had no extension with the offices and arches that are there now. It was just flat. The shop’s owners brought in an architect to help them style something more modern with some curb appeal.
“We always felt the flow of the shop was great. The room that needed work was the front office,” Durkin says.
The result is what you see today, with the three large columns and swooping overhang. The remodel also added offices on a second floor, decluttering the previous office and giving the shop’s owners more space to work.
In 2018, the shop wenth through another remodel, this time to aid some logistics issues. It added a third floor with more office space, an elevator to help an older owner move throughout the building and reimagined several staircases to fit the new building layout.
Lighting up the neighborhood
Large neon lights line the exterior of the shop and make their way into the lobby. Durkin and the staff wanted something to accent the lobby and add a unique flair. One the outside, the lights show off the building's architecture and make it pop from the street.
“We get a lot of people who comment on it,” Durin says. The shop leaves the lights on at night, making it a can’t miss shop on the road.
Other small additions have also added to the unique feel, including palm trees around the property. Not common in the area, they were brought in by the shop owners, who have always enjoyed them.
