“My garage wouldn’t be as clean, organized, or snazzy without ToolKeepers. I’m glad I found y’all!” – Steve Cauffiel, American DIY Garage Owner
Military experience inspires a new way to fix cars.
The right tools can make life so much better – especially if you own a well-worn vehicle. But a functional tool collection and a secure space to store them can be a luxury that many need but few enjoy. American DIY Garage in Virginia Beach, Virginia exists to deliver this luxury - and more - to vehicle owners while saving them as much as 50% off the cost of going to a traditional mechanic. ToolKeepers has been a supplier to American DIY Garage since their 2016 opening and we applaud them for how they’re empowering people to DO THEIR BEST WORK.
The American DIY Garage business concept was inspired by the owner's time in the military. As a former Navy SEAL, Steve Cauffiel recalls the convenience of borrowing tools to maintain and fix his car from the auto hobby shop on base. The tools he needed were at his fingertips, the mechanical knowledge of his fellow soldiers was readily shared, and the space to do the work allowed him to save hundreds of dollars by fixing his car himself instead of going to a pricey mechanic.
Tools. Beautiful tools.
Cauffiel's meticulously maintained facility in Virginia Beach provides a similar experience to garage-and-tool-challenged residents in his community. Customers reserve a bay outfitted with a vehicle lift and an impressive array of tools neatly organized in a bright red ToolKeepers rolling toolbox that will make any tool aficionado green with envy. “We work hard to make everything inviting and friendly. Our presentation makes using the tools less intimidating for beginners, and our experienced customers–some are aircraft mechanics–say it’s just like being at work, which I take as an extreme compliment.” He continues, “When there’s no chaos in the tool drawer, there’s no chaos in your head and everything is just more efficient.”
The garage attracts men and women who know their way around a partially disassembled vehicle, as well as novices who gratefully accept advice from Cauffiel and his staff who share their knowledge informally or in workshops that teach basic mechanical skills. A customer’s experience begins when they’re escorted to their bay and open a single drawer in a tool chest. Each tool is etched with the company’s logo and fit snuggly into inserts that looks as great today as they did when they were manufactured 6 years ago.
No more chaos. ToolKeepers to the rescue.
When scoping out the critical basics of his business back in 2016, Cauffiel realized that protecting and organizing his new tools was a top priority.
“It’s stupid-simple to know when a tool is missing because there’s a big blue spot in the drawer."
His big investment in tools needed to be protected from wear and loss, and his vision of an immaculate, well-maintained garage required a place for every tool and every tool always in its place. While theft of tools hasn’t been an issue, managing hundreds of tools can be a big job. With his ToolKeepers system, Cauffiel says “it’s stupid-simple to know when a tool is missing because there’s a big blue spot in the drawer. When tools are just thrown into a case, it’s not at all obvious.”
To create his winning system, a full set of Steve’s new tools and one of his rolling tool chests were shipped to the ToolKeepers plant in Fairfield, Iowa along with Steve’s ideas about how the tools could be organized to best serve his customers. ToolKeepers crafted prototype inserts for each drawer in the chest and did a test fit of the full set of tools. Photos were sent to Steve and after a few changes, final inserts were cut using ToolKeepers standard high-density foam and precision waterjet technology, and each tool was laser etched with the American DIY Garage logo. Once the custom inserts were delivered to Virginia Beach, the DIY team put inserts into drawers and tools into inserts before putting the newly outfitted tool chests to work in the garage.
5-Star reviews for the team and the tools.
ToolKeepers continues to help American DIY Garage with etching and organization systems for their tool crib that stores larger specialized devices and spare tools. Despite the Iowa-to-Virginia distance, they keep using ToolKeepers solutions. Cauffiel says “I keep coming back to ToolKeepers because of their quality, speed to deliver, willingness to explore super-custom solutions, and general love of tools.” His insistence on creating a top-notch experience is paying off. American DIY Garage receives mostly 5-star reviews stemming from three things: their people, their tools, and their cleanliness. Cauffiel’s closing comments give some credit for the 2nd and 3rd items to ToolKeepers. He shared “My garage wouldn’t be as clean, organized, or snazzy without ToolKeepers. I’m glad I found y’all!”
ToolKeepers creates custom toolbox inserts that help companies do their best work. We'd love to talk about your needs.
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