Automotive repair industry analysis

Editor's Note: this informative article is part of Inc.'s once a week report on business markets in partnership with economic information business Sageworks.

In the face of a still-sluggish economy, Us americans are holding onto their particular automobiles much longer and driving them farther. That's generating many opportunities for repair stores, which saw nearly 7 per cent year-over-year sales growth during 2014.

The typical chronilogical age of vehicles on the highway is near a historic high of around ten years, based on General Motors North America president Alan Batey. For most automobile proprietors, this means a periodic day at a repair shop.

“An automotive repair center is similar to a physician’s office in that, when you yourself have a motor vehicle, eventually you will require a car care, tires rotated or something like that, " says Sageworks analyst Libby Bierman. "It’s much less necessary as health care, but it has actually the same variety of need. Consequently, you’d expect the to help keep growing at a slow but steady price.”

In accordance with Sageworks’ financial record evaluation, automotive restoration and maintenance is not just growing and improving profitability. The common web profit return rose above 5 per cent through the year ending December 30, 2014, an extremely considerable boost within the 2 or 3 per cent margin a attained in recent years.

"continue, that development could produce greater dividends for proprietors or even the chance for the business to re-invest in better machinery, technology or skilled workers that could result in better products or service, ” Bierman says.

Simultaneously that automobile proprietors are holding onto their automobiles for extended amounts of time, more individuals who do perhaps not own cars come in industry to become vehicle proprietors, in accordance with Sageworks

The Census Bureau reported that sales at auto as well as other motor vehicle dealers were up almost 11 % overall from this past year, leading repair shop owners to hope more traffic on the road will trigger more business headed their means.