"We really had nowhere else to go, and we were lost," Cordes said. "The real estate costs are in the millions, and we didn't want to move far away because we have been here for 30 years."

Luckily for Cordes, a sporting goods business across the street was downsizing, leaving a 7,000-square-foot building available for rent.  He said the timing couldn't have been any better and that it was truly a blessing to get to move right across the street.  "If we would have had to move across the highway, there is a good chance that people wouldn't have found us or people wouldn't have drove over there," he said.

On Dec. 7, Mid-Nite Auto Supply moved to its new location. Cordes said the new building not only provides more space and a new mixing room, but also two docks for loading and unloading shipments, an amenity that wasn't available at the old store.

"Previously, we had to unload everything by hand; now we have two docks and can unload a truckload of paint in 15 minutes."

New technological equipment including computers, wireless headsets, and Internet access on every computer were also implemented after the move, he said.  "We are trying to improve processes so we can do more with the same crew," he said.

Cordes said one thing that will stay the same is the products and services he provides to his customers.

"We offer service; that is what we are trying to sell," he said. "So many businesses are trying to run a leaner business by cutting services, but we are providing more services."

Cordes said he offers training and technical support in the shop, adding that one of his employees is a PPG-certified technical representative.  "The people I have on the street are paint guys, not salespeople," he said. "They could paint every car in the shop if they needed to. It is mostly hands-on technical support."

Mid-Nite Auto Supply is a PPG Platinum Distributor, which means they sell only PPG paint. That allows employees to understand one line and shows a real commitment to knowing the product, he said.

In 1996, Cordes said, Mid-Nite's previous owner opened Mid-Nite Auto Paint in Hazelwood, Mo. That store focuses exclusively on paint, whereas Mid-Nite Auto Supply keeps things split down the middle between paint and parts, he said.

Currently the breakdown at Mid-Nite Auto Supply is 35 percent retail and 65 percent wholesale, Cordes said. He said he hopes the new showroom, three times the size of the showroom in the old store, will help increase retail business and the additional storage space will allow for an expanded inventory to meet all wholesale needs.

"We have put a lot of emphasis on the retail side at this store," he said. "We are trying to get more products out front so customers can see them and give them more of a chance to know what we have. A lot of people that thought this was a parts store didn't know we carried paint, and people that thought we were a paint store didn't realize that we were also in the parts business."

Cordes said he hopes the new retail layout will correct those misconceptions.