News & Events
DALLAS--(The Dallas Morning News )--Dallas-based Service King plans to embark on an ambitious national expansion led by new president Cathy Bonner that could double revenue over the next five years.
The chain of collision-repair centers, founded in 1976 by company chairman Eddie Lennox, recently opened seven shops in Houston and the success of those centers – some were profitable after three months – prompted Lennox to consider the leap outside Texas.
Most of Service King's 31 shops and 1,000 teammates are in the Dallas area. The privately held company, which says it has a 20 percent market share in the area, expects to repair about 70,000 vehicles and earn $150 million in revenue this year.
"We were able to experiment with a lot of things in Houston that might work for us nationally," said Lennox, 57, a former body-repair man who started Service King in a three-bay tin building in West Dallas.
Bonner, a Dallas native, has no experience with auto repair. But she served as executive director of the Texas Department of Commerce from 1991 to 1994, founded The Women's Museum in Dallas and has started and managed three marketing and communications firms.
She also is Lennox's sister-in-law – a fact that was important because she knows the Service King culture, Lennox said. Bonner's primary responsibility will be to develop a strategic plan for growth, determining which markets Service King should enter and overseeing that plan.
"This relates to growth and getting someone who can help us achieve it – and not ex-technicians like myself," Lennox said.
He believes that planning for major growth requires knowledge that he and his managers don't have.
"Eddie approached me and convinced me I don't need to know how to fix a car," said Bonner, 60, a finalist in 2007 for The Dallas Morning News' "Texan of the Year" award for her work to pass legislation creating the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. "I just get to build on their success."
Bonner said she intends to have a growth strategy plan completed by the first of the year.
"I had a lot of experience identifying new markets and bringing in corporations when I was with the state," said Bonner, who was part of a team of officials in the early 1990s that helped convince General Motors Corp. to not close its assembly plant in Arlington.
Service King offers several programs that Lennox says are unique – including a computer program developed by vice president Jeff McFadden that allows insurers to monitor and audit the entire repair process.
"We also have some operations programs that [vice president] Danny McKinley put into place that no one else does, and those products really made me more bullish on growth," Lennox said.
Bonner, who will not get stock in Service King, says she doesn't view her job as a long-term position. Lennox's 34-year-old son, Jeremy, will serve as her assistant.
"I'm not going to dilute the stock," she said. "I see my role as being short in terms of achieving the goals we want to attain."
Despite its moves to get larger, Service King has no interest in going public, said Lennox, who holds 80 percent of Service King's stock along with his wife. Managers throughout the company own the remaining 20 percent.
"We're well capitalized, and we have good banking relationships," he said. "We envision doubling our revenue in three to five years."
The Service King Golf Tournament has benefited a variety of charities and has raised over $500,000. Thanks to the many participants at last year’s tournament, we raised a record $93,740.
We are expecting another great turnout this year with 288 players playing on two full courses. We will start off with breakfast and goodie bags with Greg Norman shirts, one-of-a-kind gifts and a custom designed hat. Then, we will have some fun on the golf course and top off the day with an awards luncheon catered by Uncle Julio's followed by our very popular live auction.
This year’s tournament is scheduled for October 4th at the Dallas Athletic Club with all proceeds benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas who provide a temporary home-away-from-home that serves and sustains families of seriously ill or injured children receiving treatment in a Dallas hospital. Click here to see details!
The excitement surrounding Service King’s foray into the Houston market with the first store opening in March of 2008 was only the tip of the iceberg. In 2009, Service King launched major expansion plans for the vast Houston market.
The first location in Houston's Copperfield community at 7924 Highway 6 North is a 20,000 square foot facility resting on over 3.5 acres. On July 27, 2009, we joined that first location with three additional collision repair centers. The recently acquired locations include 80,000 square foot, D&D Spring, located at 23530 I-45 North, 80,000 square foot, D&D Kingwood, located at 22500 Highway 59 North, and 37,000 square foot Callaway's Humble, located at 450 E. FM 1960 Bypass.
The addition of D&D and Callaway's positions Service King as the largest collision repair provider in Houston with 4 centers throughout the market, further extending Service King's position as the largest independently owned and operated collision repair organization in the U.S. with a total of 26 locations in the Dallas-Ft.Worth Metroplex and Houston.
Service King is committed to continuing D&D and Callaway's long tradition of delivering high-quality services to the consumer, insurance companies and automotive dealerships.
By February 1, 2010, Service King Collision Repair will be serving the Katy area, and two more facilities opening soon for a total of seven locations throughout Houston.
Countdown Begins for National Vehicle Donation Program
DALLAS - November 16, 2009 — Service King Collision Repair Centers, a member of the National Auto Body Council (NABC), is readying its contribution to a nationwide vehicle donation program called Recycled Rides. The program is a community awareness project whereby members of NABC repair and donate recycled vehicles to families in need. Read More...
Service King Expands in Houston
RICHARDSON, TX – July 28, 2009 – Service King Collision Repair Centers, a Richardson, Texas-based operator of high-quality collision repair facilities in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex and Houston markets, has acquired D&D Collision and Callaway’s Collision Specialists, the leading collision repair service provider in Houston, Texas, with three large scale, high volume locations. Read More...
Relocation of South Fort Worth Location
DALLAS – July 14, 2009 – Service King Collision Repair Centers announced today the relocation of its South Fort Worth location. Despite the rough economy, Service King Collision Repair continues to expand within Tarrant County. The brand new facility at 9601 South I-35W in Fort Worth will open its doors for business Monday, July 20th. Read More...
Service King Collision Repair Centers is honored to be recognized with several prestigious awards. "We are truly honored that Service King has received the recognition that we've worked so hard to achieve by providing our customers with quality repairs and superior customer service," said Eddie Lennox, Service King CEO. "Service King's success couldn't have been possible without the dedication from our teammates, who've helped make us what we are today."
The Dallas 100™ Entrepreneurial Awards
Recognized as one of the 100 fastest growing privately held companies in Dallas, Texas. SMU's Cox School of Business in conjunction with The CEO Institute honored Service King with the following awards:
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Best Places to Work
Voted one of the "Best Places To Work" in Dallas-Fort Worth. Presented by the Dallas Business Journal.
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