The 401k Club Staff (left to right): Andy Martaus, Trevor Dick, Mike Skipps, owner Dana Manier, Osmar Mata, Jim Johnston and Bernt Karlsson
Back in December 2008, I wrote a Restorer Profile about The 401k Club. At the time, the owners of the Anaheim, California-based rod shop were working hard to build the business, which, at the time, was servicing mostly 1950s and 1960s hot rods and classic trucks. They had big plans for the shop.
A lot has changed in the hot rod industry in the last three years, so I decided to check back in with The 401k Club and see what’s happened to the shop since we profiled it three years ago.
Since then, the shop, which in 2008 was owned by three people, has undergone a major change of ownership. Dana Manier is now the sole owner of the business. His staff has also changed dramatically in the three years since we last visited. In 2008, the shop had about 11 employees; today Manier employs six people.
“Last year was a tough year for us,” Manier told me. “It kicked our butt, but this year has been all about getting back to normal and 2011 has been a good year for us.”
Famed fabricator Bernt Karlsson came to work at The 401k Club in February.
Because of this, Manier was able to hire noted fabricator and painter Bernt Karlsson in February. Karlsson is well-known in the industry, having worked for Boyd Coddington and appearing on the TV show “American Hot Rod.” Manier said Karlsson has been a fantastic addition to the shop’s staff. All paint and body work is now done completely in-house (at the time we profiled the shop, it had only just begun to offer these services.)
Manier said that he has stepped up the marketing for the shop significantly in the last few years and now attends more industry events and shows than ever before. While he said he tends to get larger jobs by attending national shows, he continues to do smaller shows that tend to bring in smaller jobs like upgrades and brake jobs. In fact, the shop now sponsors a weekly cruise show at a nearby hamburger joint in order to increase its brand awareness. Manier plans to attend even more shows in 2012.
He has yet to achieve his 2008 goal of expanding his business, but Manier said that he’s still planning to move to a larger facility. He hopes to be able to find a facility large enough that he can have a showroom and a place for car clubs to host their weekly meetings.
Another major change Manier has seen is in the type of vehicles that are coming into his shop. In 2008, the shop was working on cars such as a 1955 Chevy truck and a 1931 Ford roadster. While it did get the occasional muscle car back then, the shop’s clients were mostly interested in hot rods and street rods. Today, the shop is working on many more Camaros, Mustangs and other muscle cars than ever before. In fact, the shop displayed a completely custom 1969 Camaro RS at the SEMA Show in November.
The shop is working on more muscle cars now than ever before.
While the shop has seen many changes since I last visited, Manier told me that he has stuck with the policies and marketing efforts that have proven successful. The shop continues to host a monthly open house where new and existing customers to are invited to come down and see new projects. The shop supplies food, drinks and a place to talk shop with other local hot rodders. Last week, The 401k Club hosted the largest open house of the year.
Manier said that he continues to invest in these open houses because they give him a chance to answer questions from new customers and help him keep in contact with previous satisfied customers.
The 401k Club has changed a great deal over the past three years, and I’m excited to see that Manier and his staff have continued to succeed.
For more information on The 401k Club, click here.
Tags: Boyd Coddington, Editors Corner, Restorer Profile, Shop Visits, The 401k Club, West Coast Rod Shops
