"Everyone asks how many glitches we have had since we opened, and I'm tickled to say not a one," he said. "Everything has worked perfectly."

Schmidtberger said the increase in productivity and error-free success is thanks to the collective experience of the individuals involved in the development of the new building.

 
"There was total involvement by not only the architect of the building, but also myself, the contractors, equipment suppliers, electricians, plumbers, and many others," he said. 

The development of the new dealership was a two-year process that included work with a computer-aided design (CAD) specialist, who helped in the layout of everything from toolbox placement to lift spacing, Schmidtberger said.

The finished product is a 16,000-square-foot parts and service area, Schmidtberger said. The service area includes 13 in-ground Nussbaum lifts, one drive-on Nussbaum lift, one set of Nussbaum 65,000-pound, 100 percent portable, mobile columns, and one Hunter Alignment Rack. The area is split into two major sections -- -one for heavy trucks and another for medium and light-duty vehicles, he said.

 
Schmidtberger added that although it wasn't in the original plan, he added two large truck bays so he could get motor homes into the shop.

The new shop design, Schmidtberger said, also included high-definition lighting and a nonslip finish on the concrete flooring.

"Most shops use florescent lights, and the problem with florescent lights is that you have to do more than replace the bulbs," he said.  "At most shops, technicians are always using tech lights, but not our technicians. You can see very well throughout the shop, including things that you typically wouldn't be able to see."

Lewis Chrysler is located on the north end of Hays -- -an area Schmidtberger said is experiencing tremendous growth.

"We moved up north because of the growth--the growth up north is expansive," he said.  "A large number of businesses are going to north Hays."

Schmidtberger added that the increase in business at Lewis Chrysler can be attributed to the Hays' population growth.

"It is a real solid town with a great college--Fort Hays State University," he said. "It is supported locally and also with the oil business and farming. It is a very diverse group of support.  We're not really just hanging on one thing like a slaughter plant or a major construction plant--it is very diversified.  So maybe the diversification of everything in the community is why the growth is still here and still going on."

The growth, Schmidtberger said, allows Lewis Chrysler to be a full-service shop that can do anything from tires and mechanical service to car detailing.

"I keep everything in house to make it very simple for the customer so they don't have to go elsewhere to get service done," he said. "You'd be surprised how many people come into the dealership not knowing that we can do everything for them." 
 Schmidtberger said parts wholesaling has also been lucrative since opening the new store.

"Parts wholesale business has been growing.  The manufacturers are heavily into the wholesale business and supporting the wholesale business," he said, "not only in sheetmetal and body shop-type repairs, but also in mechanical repair parts." 

 
Although the parts wholesale business has increased, Schmidtberger said it sometimes has a downside.

"We work wholesale with all of our local environment and also within a 300-mile radius," he said. "Sometimes, however, I feel that the wholesale customer gets preferential treatment over our own in-house repairs. As a parts department, you can allow parts for filling wholesale needs and in turn you sometimes jeopardize what you have for your own people coming in."

 
Those coming to Lewis Chrysler to have their vehicles serviced are often coming from 70-80 miles away and sometimes from as far away as 150 miles, Schmidtberger said.

"We have a large saturation of customers coming from out of town," he said. "There is a lot of potential for us to grow."

The Lewis dealership owns three other dealerships in Kansas--Dodge City Toyota, Lewis Motors in Garden City, and Lewis Toyota and Ford in Hays.