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| {{Short description|Automotive paint and repair shop chain}} | |||
| ⚫ | '''Earl Scheib''' |
||
| {{more citations|date=May 2017}} | |||
| {{Infobox company | |||
| | name = Earl Scheib | |||
| | image = Earl Scheib on Central Ave, Albuquerque NM.jpg | |||
| | image_caption = Earl Scheib shop on Central Avenue in ] | |||
| | logo = | |||
| | type = | |||
| | industry = Automotive painting, automotive repair | |||
| | fate = | |||
| | predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = --> | |||
| | successor = <!-- or: | successors = --> | |||
| | founded = 1937 in ], ], ] | |||
| | founder = Earl Scheib | |||
| | defunct = July 16, 2010 | |||
| | hq_location_city = ], ] | |||
| | hq_location_country = ] | |||
| | area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = --> | |||
| | key_people = Earl Scheib | |||
| | products = | |||
| | owner = <!-- or: | owners = --> | |||
| | num_employees = | |||
| | num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) --> | |||
| | parent = | |||
| | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> | |||
| }} | |||
| ⚫ | '''Earl Scheib''' was a company that specialized in low-cost repainting and collision repair of ]s, with locations in 23 states in the ]. | ||
| ⚫ | == |
||
| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.galvanews.com/news/20170117/cars-we-remember-reader-recalls-earl-scheib-paint-centers-and-seeks-recommendation-on-touch-up-paint/|work=Galva News|date=January 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202003402/http://www.galvanews.com/news/20170117/cars-we-remember-reader-recalls-earl-scheib-paint-centers-and-seeks-recommendation-on-touch-up-paint|archive-date=February 2, 2017|title=Geneseo Republic: Local News, Politics & Sports in Geneseo, IL }}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ==Company history== | ||
| Founded by ] (1908-1992) in ] in ] the company grew quickly following ] and by ] had branches in Germany and England, all company owned, with Scheib manufacturing his own paint. Scheib's policy of one-day service and production line techniques flew directly into the face of state-of-the-art professional Auto Body standards and caused the company to become a national joke. | |||
| ], ], 1991]] | |||
| Founded by Earl Scheib (February 28, 1908 – February 29, 1992)<ref></ref> in ] in 1937,<ref></ref> the company grew quickly following ] and by 1975 had branches in ] and ], all company-owned, with Scheib manufacturing his own ] through a wholly owned subsidiary. | |||
| Born in San Francisco on February 28, 1908, Scheib moved to Southern California with his family when he was 10. A graduate of ], Scheib never went to college. Instead, he got a job as a gas station attendant changing oil and tires for General Petroleum Co. in the late 1920s. Not long after, he went into business with his own gas station on the corner of Whitworth and Fairfax. His neighbors soon began asking if he knew anyone who could paint their cars. So, each night, after closing time, Scheib would paint cars in the station's lube garage. | |||
| Scheib has been plagued with a high employee turnover rate due to the demands of attempting to paint up to five cars a day. The companys main criteria in hiring and promoting management trainees is based on sales skills only. Knowledge of auto body repair or painting techniques is not required. Trainees undergo a short training period and are then assigned to thier own shops. Any Manager who fails to increase sales for three successive months is fired, regardless of seniority. Due to these high pressure sales demands most talented trainees quickly move on to other more progressive organizations. Auto Body, Painting and prep personel are represented by Teamsters Unions. | |||
| It didn't take long for word of Scheib's painting service to spread, and soon there was more paint business than the station could handle. As a result, he sold his station, rented a "shack" on the corner of Pico and La Brea in Los Angeles, and in 1937 opened the first Earl Scheib Paint and Body. His philosophy was, "Work hard, be on time, and don't worry about how much you make." It was a belief that underscored the way he ran his business.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.earlscheib.com/about.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060815200639/http://www.earlscheib.com/about.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=2006-08-15|title=Earl Scheib - auto * paint * body * collision - About Us|date=2006-08-15|access-date=2020-04-13}}</ref> | |||
| ==Fast Track Management== | |||
| Scheib's paint-coating systems were used by its company-owned paint and collision repair shops. The paint also was sold to original equipment manufacturers and architectural construction firms. | |||
| In 1997 the company devised a "Fast Track" Managementy training program and recuited College and Business School graduates for immediate placement in upper middle Management positions, requiring relocation to another State upon completion of the program. Scheibs' corporate office and shareholders were dismayed to find that 85% of those participating in the program resigned upon relocation. After Scheibs death the company was sold to Ex College Basketball Champion Chris Bement and Dan Siegal, who made his fortune in Las Vegas winnings, and other investors. Improvements were made in the quality of Paint- Sacheibs paints of today are equal in quality to the best automotive paints- and a corporate restructure. | |||
| ==Advertising== | |||
| Scheib began to expand nationally in the 1950s, and to raise awareness of his auto painting shops he turned to advertising. Earl Scheib marketed his shops through low-budget television commercials. Appearing on late-night television programs, Scheib soon became a national icon and celebrity, and his oft-heard sales pitch, "I'm Earl Scheib, and I'll paint any car, any color for $29.95. No ups, no extras," became an instantly recognizable phrase, with $29.95 the nationally-advertised price even into the late 1960s.<ref>"You Auto Paint Now." Earl Scheib advertisement, Phiiladelphia Inquirer, 16 March 1969.</ref> With inflation, this increased to $39.95-$59.95 by 1974<ref>"How to Buy a Car a Paint Job." Popular Mechanics, October 1975, 120.</ref> and $99.95 in the 1980s.<ref> "Earl Scheib Says" (advertisement). San Bernardino County (CA) Sun, 1 April 1985.</ref> Scheib, credited as being the first spokesperson for his own company, handled all advertising and developed and wrote his own television commercials. Scheib believed viewers would find his ads more convincing and genuine if he spoke directly to the viewers about the company's offerings. | |||
| Earl Scheib also handled media buys, placing his television and radio ads carefully. As son Donald explained in a company statement: 'He'd personally call the station manager and tell him to interrupt a sponsored show at a pivotal moment and run his ad. ... So you'd be watching a show, the villain's sneaking up behind the hero with a knife, and just when he's about to plunge the knife into the hero's back ... Earl comes on the screen pitching his service.' Scheib's commercials were seen and heard on television and radio stations in more than 100 cities, and he continued to film spots until his death in 1992. Despite his fame and television ad ubiquity, son Donald claimed that Scheib was not fond of appearing in commercials. 'In truth,' Donald Scheib said in a company statement, 'he hated doing those television spots. ... He didn't like being in front of the camera, you'd have to drag him feet-first into that studio, screaming.' Earl Scheib received many mentions on the Johnny Carson show in the '70s and '80s. These happened occasionally during skits as part of a punchline or in support of a set up. One example is that Earl Scheib would paint the smog in LA blue for 89.99. The context was the 1984 Olympics were starting, with the premise being the participants and fans wouldn't know there was smog there. | |||
| In 1999, the company began closing branches and selling company owned properties to show a profit to shareholders. | |||
| ==Restructuring== | |||
| == Earl Scheib in Popular Culture == | |||
| In 1999, the company began closing branches and selling company-owned properties to show a profit to ]s. The organization reduced the number of its shops as a result of this practice, with most of its remaining centers in the western states, where ] and ] are less likely to be a problem.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060815200639/http://www.earlscheib.com/about.php |date=2006-08-15 }}</ref> | |||
| On February 18, 2009, Earl Scheib and Kelly Capital LLC, a ], announced the signing of the ] agreement. Kelly Capital LLC acquired the company in the second quarter of 2009 following shareholder approval of a merger agreement. | |||
| * ] appeared in local television commercials up through the 1990s. Scheib would tell the camera "Riiight, "I'll paint any car, any color for twenty-nine nintey-five! Riiiiiiight!" Scheib's tagline "riiiiiiight" became a colloquial reference. | |||
| * The company was mentioned in a scene of ], where '''Buddy Love''' said the following joke in a club: "Your mama's so fat, she gets her toenails painted at '''Earl Scheib'''!" | |||
| Beginning in July 2010, the company closed certain locations and franchised off the remaining locations to shop managers, giving them the opportunity to become small business owners. Specifically, the company offered them the rights to purchase all the equipment and fixtures in their shops and to use the Earl Scheib name for their own business. Many managers took advantage and agreed to the terms, resulting in today's independent Earl Scheib paint centers. These modern Earl Scheib centers now offer paint jobs and most of today's Scheib shops also offer custom painting, collision repair, and pinstriping.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}} | |||
| == |
==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Scheib, Earl}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 03:14, 6 January 2025
Automotive paint and repair shop chain | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Earl Scheib" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 Earl Scheib shop on Central Avenue in Albuquerque, New Mexico | |
| Industry | Automotive painting, automotive repair |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1937 in Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Founder | Earl Scheib |
| Defunct | July 16, 2010 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Key people | Earl Scheib |
Earl Scheib was a company that specialized in low-cost repainting and collision repair of automobiles, with locations in 23 states in the United States.
Company history
Founded by Earl Scheib (February 28, 1908 – February 29, 1992) in Los Angeles in 1937, the company grew quickly following World War II and by 1975 had branches in Germany and England, all company-owned, with Scheib manufacturing his own paint through a wholly owned subsidiary.
Born in San Francisco on February 28, 1908, Scheib moved to Southern California with his family when he was 10. A graduate of Los Angeles High School, Scheib never went to college. Instead, he got a job as a gas station attendant changing oil and tires for General Petroleum Co. in the late 1920s. Not long after, he went into business with his own gas station on the corner of Whitworth and Fairfax. His neighbors soon began asking if he knew anyone who could paint their cars. So, each night, after closing time, Scheib would paint cars in the station's lube garage.
It didn't take long for word of Scheib's painting service to spread, and soon there was more paint business than the station could handle. As a result, he sold his station, rented a "shack" on the corner of Pico and La Brea in Los Angeles, and in 1937 opened the first Earl Scheib Paint and Body. His philosophy was, "Work hard, be on time, and don't worry about how much you make." It was a belief that underscored the way he ran his business.
Scheib's paint-coating systems were used by its company-owned paint and collision repair shops. The paint also was sold to original equipment manufacturers and architectural construction firms.
Advertising
Scheib began to expand nationally in the 1950s, and to raise awareness of his auto painting shops he turned to advertising. Earl Scheib marketed his shops through low-budget television commercials. Appearing on late-night television programs, Scheib soon became a national icon and celebrity, and his oft-heard sales pitch, "I'm Earl Scheib, and I'll paint any car, any color for $29.95. No ups, no extras," became an instantly recognizable phrase, with $29.95 the nationally-advertised price even into the late 1960s. With inflation, this increased to $39.95-$59.95 by 1974 and $99.95 in the 1980s. Scheib, credited as being the first spokesperson for his own company, handled all advertising and developed and wrote his own television commercials. Scheib believed viewers would find his ads more convincing and genuine if he spoke directly to the viewers about the company's offerings.
Earl Scheib also handled media buys, placing his television and radio ads carefully. As son Donald explained in a company statement: 'He'd personally call the station manager and tell him to interrupt a sponsored show at a pivotal moment and run his ad. ... So you'd be watching a show, the villain's sneaking up behind the hero with a knife, and just when he's about to plunge the knife into the hero's back ... Earl comes on the screen pitching his service.' Scheib's commercials were seen and heard on television and radio stations in more than 100 cities, and he continued to film spots until his death in 1992. Despite his fame and television ad ubiquity, son Donald claimed that Scheib was not fond of appearing in commercials. 'In truth,' Donald Scheib said in a company statement, 'he hated doing those television spots. ... He didn't like being in front of the camera, you'd have to drag him feet-first into that studio, screaming.' Earl Scheib received many mentions on the Johnny Carson show in the '70s and '80s. These happened occasionally during skits as part of a punchline or in support of a set up. One example is that Earl Scheib would paint the smog in LA blue for 89.99. The context was the 1984 Olympics were starting, with the premise being the participants and fans wouldn't know there was smog there.
Restructuring
In 1999, the company began closing branches and selling company-owned properties to show a profit to shareholders. The organization reduced the number of its shops as a result of this practice, with most of its remaining centers in the western states, where rust and corrosion are less likely to be a problem.
On February 18, 2009, Earl Scheib and Kelly Capital LLC, a private equity firm, announced the signing of the merger agreement. Kelly Capital LLC acquired the company in the second quarter of 2009 following shareholder approval of a merger agreement.
Beginning in July 2010, the company closed certain locations and franchised off the remaining locations to shop managers, giving them the opportunity to become small business owners. Specifically, the company offered them the rights to purchase all the equipment and fixtures in their shops and to use the Earl Scheib name for their own business. Many managers took advantage and agreed to the terms, resulting in today's independent Earl Scheib paint centers. These modern Earl Scheib centers now offer paint jobs and most of today's Scheib shops also offer custom painting, collision repair, and pinstriping.
References
- "Geneseo Republic: Local News, Politics & Sports in Geneseo, IL". Galva News. January 17, 2017. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017.
- Los Angeles Times
- Los Angeles Times
- "Earl Scheib - auto * paint * body * collision - About Us". 2006-08-15. Archived from the original on 2006-08-15. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
- "You Auto Paint Now." Earl Scheib advertisement, Phiiladelphia Inquirer, 16 March 1969.
- "How to Buy a Car a Paint Job." Popular Mechanics, October 1975, 120.
- "Earl Scheib Says" (advertisement). San Bernardino County (CA) Sun, 1 April 1985.
- Earlscheib.com Archived 2006-08-15 at the Wayback Machine