May 2006
Bill Rucker
Performance Business
May 2006 – Bill Rucker built his name and reputation on motorcycles. Then, he decided to build a business around another one of his passions: hotrods.
“When we started out, we started with the philosophy that we weren’t going to do anything half-assed. We were only going to do high-quality work, and we were going to charge for first-class work,” says Rucker.
Initially, Rucker says that made it difficult to bring customers. After the shop had done a few cars, the attention they garnered helped to grow the business.
“The business has exploded in the last year. Exploded meaning there are people coming out of the woodwork willing to pay the kind of money that they need to pay in order to get the kind of work that we want to do,” says Rucker.
Proper pricing is an important matter to Rucker.
“For every shop that really charges what they should charge, there are 10 others that under charge and never get the work done,” says Rucker.
The benefits of fair pricing start with the bottom line, and they trickle down from there, allowing shops to hire good people to do good work.
“My business philosophy is that your business is built on the people that you have, and it’s only as good as your worst person. Once I got good craftsmen in, that side of the business exploded to the point where I bet we’re backed up six months,” says Rucker.
As for the vehicles he’s working on, Rucker says that, “We get everything. I just built a 1932 Highboy from the ground up. That was for a customer that is my age, 48-years-old, and it was a $135,000 build.”
Rucker Performance does a mix of restoration and resto-mod work, although, “We’re seeing more of the resto-mod cars,” says Rucker. He notes that they recently did a Corvette with an all-new drivetrain underneath, and other late model amenities in the cab.
“Everything that would make it like a new car, it has. But when you look at it, it looks like a pristine 1961 Corvette,” says Rucker.
Rucker says his customers like to get their cars out on the road as well. “The 1961 Corvette was done for a doctor’s wife, and she drives it every day. I’ll see it every once in a while when it comes in to get a door ding fixed. We’re always tuning it up for her, keeping it in good condition.”
Obviously, the fact that she brings the car back to Rucker for that work brings in additional money to the shop. Also, while she’s out driving around town, she’s advertising the skills of Rucker Performance.
August 8, 2006 11:15 AM | send page | Press Releases