Lexington, KY - It is one of the businesses in downtown Lexington that people probably drive by thousands of times and do not know what is going on inside.
“We hear that all the time,” said Dianne Bennett, who has owned CoachCraft with her husband, Pete Bennett, since May 1991.
What is going on inside, and has been for about 60 years, is custom upholstery for cars, trucks and all kinds of other vehicles, as well as re-covering everything from workout benches for gyms to exam tables for doctors.
The business, now with its third owners, has been in the same location under the same name at 362 East Main St. since 1953.
Pete Bennett said some customers enter the work bay where 10 vehicles may be parked and recall how they came with their grandfather to have work done on a car or bought a bike from the business.
While the business has evolved over the years, its focus remains the same: customizing interiors and coverings for all types vehicles. It began as a seat- cover and upholstery business, and work included sporty customizations to the muscle cars that were popular in the ’50s and ’60s.
When the Bennetts took over the business, their aim was to grow it through what Dianne Bennett called “restyling” vehicles. That can mean replacing cloth seats with leather or adding heaters to the seats, adding a sunroof or repairing the “headliner,” the fabric on the ceiling of the vehicle.
One day earlier this year, the work bay had:
• a Triumph in for new leather covering on the bucket seats, complete with custom red stitching;
• a Ford convertible in need of a new rear window;
• a boat being fitted for a $3,000 custom rear enclosure;
• a minivan getting the headliner repaired;
• a small pickup getting a sunroof installed; and
• a truck fresh from the dealership getting an upgrade to leather seats for the new owner.
Custom leather seats are one of the most common requests at CoachCraft. The Bennetts get a lot of business referrals from auto dealerships where the buyers want leather seats but don’t need all the other parts of the upgrade package (which can cost thousands of dollars) that includes leather seats.
“We have a good relationship with the dealerships,” Pete Bennett said. The Bennetts said dealerships for cars and boats, along with word-of-mouth referrals, are how most customers hear about CoachCraft.
When converting cloth seats to leather seats in newer vehicles, CoachCraft uses a kit from the manufacturer to do the installation. But for a job like recovering the seats of the vintage Triumph, the old pieces of upholstery were removed and then used as a pattern to cut the new pieces of fabric.
The Bennetts do get some unusual requests. Some University of Kentucky football fans recently brought in a used ambulance that they wanted converted into a tailgating vehicle. That project included adding an awning for the tailgaters. Then there was the Scooby-Doo lover who wanted a van converted into a deluxe “Mystery Machine.”
They also get a lot of business from people just looking to get a little more life out of their vehicles.
When the recession hit in 2008 and new car sales went into a steep decline, they picked up more business from vehicle owners who saw restyling as a more affordable alternative to replacing a vehicle.
“When people want a new car but maybe don’t want to spend the money, we do what we call ‘renovating,’” Dianne Bennett said.
It might mean getting rid of juice-box stains from the seats and tears in the headliner of the old family van or adding a sunroof and leather seats to give a sedan a sportier feel. Often, they also put in new foam cushion to make older seats comfortable again.
Adding in more back support is a common request CoachCraft gets from people who do a lot of work out of their cars — driving across a sales territory and getting in and out of their cars frequently. That can wear down the upholstery and cushioning quickly, and there are few things worse for someone who drives a lot than an uncomfortable seat and ending the work day with a sore back.
Keeping people happy creates the job satisfaction that has kept the Bennetts in the business for more than 20 years. They didn’t get into the business because they were car nuts, and they didn’t bring with them any experience in upholstery or customizations.
What they did have were some people and management skills and a desire to own their own business. Dianne Bennett earned a degree in social work from UK, and Pete Bennett got his degree from UK in business. She was working in the central office of the Fayette County School District and he had run two other businesses.
But for them, “the American dream was owning a small business,” Pete Bennett said.
They heard that CoachCraft was for sale through the Chamber of Commerce and worked with the sellers before settling into the driver’s seat themselves.
The Bennetts have four employees who do the upholstery and recoverings, including one who has been with CoachCraft for more than 20 years — since before the Bennetts took over the shop. Their employees have come in with experience and they also get additional training from suppliers such as Webasto.
“You’ve got to have people in place who have their niche,” Pete Bennett said.
The Bennetts deal with customers and marketing, manage the supplies and inventory, keep the books and tackle many other tasks that come with operating a small business.
Spring and summer are the busiest times of year for CoachCraft. That is the best season for new car sales. That is also the time when people have some tax return money to spend and are getting their boats and convertibles out again, often discovering leaks or rips that require repair.
If there is a wait or a job they can’t handle and guarantee, the Bennetts say they are upfront with customers to maintain the reputation they have built.
As Pete Bennett says, “Reputation is priceless.”