"When you go to the hospital, the doctor asks you what is wrong and the patient describes the problem," he said. "A veterinarian on the other hand has to figure out what is wrong with the animal; the animal can't tell him what is wrong."

Likewise, Wilson said he has invested thousands of dollars on scan tools, but he has never had one talk to him and tell him what is wrong with the car; that is something he has to figure out on his own.

Wilson said diagnostics and wiring are his strong area, a skill he acquired during five years in the Army performing electronic repairs on aircraft. Learning lab scope diagnostics and wiring was required in order to repair the circuit boards he worked on, he said.

After his Army stint, Wilson said he worked at a couple of dealerships and then an independent garage before he decided to go into business on his own in 2004.

After sharing a building with another business for two years, Wilson said a friend from his church offered to build him his own 3,000-square-foot shop with four bays and an office.

Initially, Wilson said he only had one lift installed in the shop to share between himself and his other technician.

"I was spending lots of time on my creeper," he said. "So, I added a second lift, a Rotary, and it was the best decision I ever made for the business." 

Wilson added that the second lift also provides a backup when a car is torn down and a wrong part is delivered.
K&K Performance Automotive, named after his daughters Katy and Karlee, is an O'Reilly Certified Auto Repair shop, located in a rural community about 10 miles south of Hannibal. Due to his location, Wilson said he receives parts delivery only twice a day from O'Reilly Auto Parts in Hannibal. 

 
"If somebody comes in at 3 o'clock and needs an alternator, I can't get it until the next morning," he said. "So I really have to plan my day out carefully."

Living in a rural community comprised largely of farmers and construction workers also means many people still do their own basic vehicle repairs, he said. However, he said botched jobs typically come to him to make right.

Wilson said he also receives work from a lot of other shops that cannot diagnose or repair a vehicle, specifically challenging drivability issues.

  
"I think we do a little bit of everything and a lot of drivability and diagnostics," he said. "I am on the top of my game when I am diagnosing drivability issues. I use iATN, I keep all my scan tools updated, and we go to more training than anybody in the area."

Wilson said he uses a Snap-on Modis diagnostic scan tool, Mitchell 1 Shop Key for vehicle information, iATN for diagnostic assistance, and attends training classes sponsored by O'Reilly, CARQUEST, and Federal Mogul.

Wilson said that he and Technician Melvin Lake normally go to training classes at least two times a month on average and is looking to step that up this year," he said.

Wilson said he would also like to step up the amount of work he can take in, adding that he has reached a point where he really needs another employee to take on an increased workload.

"I am looking to hire a service adviser," he said. "It is tough trying to run the front and back of the business at the same time, nearly impossible. I have really gotten to the point where I need to try something different because it is so tough. I guess they call those growing pains in business."

Wilson's wife, Co-owner Teresa Wilson, helps pick up parts, assists with office work, and does marketing for the business when she is not busy home schooling their daughters, he said.

Currently, he said he averages 20 repair orders a week with an average ticket of $215. He said his labor rate is $47.37 an hour and increases to $57.37 for electrical and diagnostic work.

Wilson said he tries to run an honest shop, which is why he believes he generates most of his business through word of mouth. He said he also receives a lot of clientele from other repair shops and has a lot of good customers that he goes to church with. 

"I know in today's day and age if you tell everybody you are an honest guy, somebody is going to try to prove you wrong," he said. "But I worked for several dishonest people, and that is why I opened my own shop--I want to help create a positive image for this industry."

Although Wilson said he is pleased with how he runs his business, he said he is not solely responsible for its success.
"I give the good Lord all the credit for this shop, without Him, none of this would have been possible," he said.