SHOP STATS: ABC Auto Care Location: Ventura, Calif. Operator: Lee and Lisa Lizarraga Average Monthly Car Count: 280-300 Staff Size: 12 Shop Size: 8,300 square feet ARO: $590 Annual Revenue: $2 million
Environmentally Conscious
Residing in the state of California, owner Lee Lizarraga says being an environmentalist is a way of life. The shop doesn’t leave any stone unturned when it comes to recycling. Paper, cardboard, metal, fluids—no material leaves the property without finding an environmentally-minded way to dispose of it.
Major Cost Savings
While disposing of these materials may seem like a task, being environmentally conscious, overall, saves the shop money. In fact, Lizarraga doesn’t pay for electricity at his shop. How, you may ask? The shop’s roof is outfitted with solar panels, and was the first business in their county to do so in 2001.
Growing Opportunities
With an open patch of dirt residing between the shop and its neighboring business, one of Lizarraga’s employees came up with the idea to have a garden and personally tends to it himself. Peppers, jalapenos, zucchini, kale, and even dragon fruit can be found in the garden; the dragon fruit is so popular that the shop goes through a rotation on who gets the next harvest.
Harvesting Days
With 240 plants—two to four ears of corn per plant—the shop has over a month’s worth of corn each day. When the corn is ready to be harvested, the shop roasts the harvested ears and tops them with lime and chili peppers for whoever is there that day to enjoy. Lizarraga says a lot of clients know the shop’s planting schedule and purposefully schedule their cars to be fixed on harvesting days.
