3 minute read
Opportunity Knocks for NextGen
It may have always been on the cards for former MTA apprentice Shaun Donoghue, but earlier this year the planets aligned for him to take the leap into owning his own workshop – helping another automotive stalwart close the door on a stellar career in the process… well, let’s just say the door’s ajar.
“I found out about Ken’s situation, him looking to retire soon, so I started popping in regularly and forming a relationship with him, meeting his clients and as we drew closer to end of financial year it all started to get a bit more serious and I eventually took over in July,” said Shaun of NextGen Automotive.
“Ken wanted to retire by 75 and he’s just turned 74, so when the opportunity came up he grabbed it and now if you see him, he’s got a massive weight lifted off his shoulders.”
Ken Baines, who has solely operated Ken Baines Automotive in one form or another for decades up until the recent acquisition of the St Agnes location by Shaun in July, knows what it takes to build a successful business grounded in trust and quality workmanship.
Many clients still feel comfortable enough to call past for a chat or to book in their next service, creating a real sense of community – and more work for Shaun who has to explain the recent takeover each time!
“I’ve got nearly 400 customers, so it would have been really unfair to just sell the plant, shut the doors and walk away – I just wouldn’t do it. 90% of them are friends, so it would have been really hard had I not been organised with a plan in place,” said Ken.
Ken hits the nail on the head when discussing succession planning, something we unfortunately see all too often fall to the wayside in member businesses – establishing a smooth transition takes time and setting expectations from an early stage is critical in ensuring both parties benefit, one into the future and the other for their years of hard work.
“The timing for him to take over couldn’t be better – I’ve still got time on my side to do things in life and I’m only local, so if he gets into trouble needing two people for a job I can help him,” said Ken.
“When Shaun was coming in to help diagnose jobs and speak to customers, I could look at his cars and get an idea of how he conducts himself and looks after his tools – you can see he keeps the place immaculate, so I had confidence in his abilities.”
Shaun cut his teeth in well-respected workshops where clean-and-tidy workspaces were a given.
He’s carried this trait through to his new venture and believes it’s a strong reflection on the overall brand if a customer can see how much pride he takes in servicing all types of vehicles.
“It really hasn’t been daunting at all, I’d actually like to get bigger – it’s nice working by yourself, but having others to bounce ideas off is always good. There are people in the area Ken built relationships with that I’ve now continued on, so that’s handy,” said Shaun.
“I’d like to sign on fleets that are willing to keep their cars up to scratch, maybe focus on marketing and attracting more customers – maybe some performance too, so a little bit of everything!
“If I can be that one-stop shop for people and do everything in-house, making it easier for customers, especially older ones who don’t want to drive to three different places for different things, that’d be the goal.”
It’s an exciting time ahead for Shaun, with plenty of opportunity to expand and mould NextGen into the business he has always envisioned.
Plus, Ken is always on call to provide guidance should acurly one roll into the driveway – a great understandingbetween the new taking the baton from the old.
Ken did have one suggestion before inking the deal we cancertainly get behind:
“I recommended he carry on the MTA membership becauseof the backup, it’s not a lot of money for peace of mind –they’ve helped me in the past, instantly on the day I neededthem actually, so I would not be without the MTA!”
