Mr Turnaround

After taking on a garage from his parents, Steve Knight has almost single-handedly revitalised the company. Here, he tells Jamie Fretwell about 30 years of Deepcut Garage.

“I tried to delegate once, hired a secretary, but she stole the best part of £100,000”

A slight smirk appears across Steve Knight’s tanned face. Not just because he has to do yet another interview, but more that upon arranging our meeting, I actually crash my car and not only require his time, but also his services. Tell this man “Blue Clio” and his automated reply is “not again”.
“Usually I’d give a customer a company courtesy car, to use until the repair work is done,” he gloats, “but the insurance wouldn’t cover those they class as ‘accident-prone’.”
However, times have not all been rosy for Steve in the driving department. He once bought a Porsche 911 Turbo (“1989, a really lovely car”) and before even getting it home, slammed it into a tree going round a roundabout a tad fast. “I literally pushed the pedal a little bit too much, and BOOM, Turbo-á-la-tree.”
Sensing common ground, it would appear that Steve relaxes a little, as he slides back and settles down into the black leather recliner salvaged from an old BMW. “I’ve done so many interviews, people all seem to ask the same questions,” he says, as he continues to slide back and down what would have taken pride of place behind a Bavarian steering wheel once upon a time. The thirty-four year old adopts a managerial role, in a spacious office overlooking the forecourt of the Head Office.
He has a lot to look over too. Since Brian and Brenda Knight bought the company in 1977, the business has stretched to accommodate two new sites, one in Mychett, which opened in 1996, and one in Lightwater, which opened later in 1999. Steve plays down the growth of the garage, saying it is down to natural expansion, but professionally, he has taken a giant stride that has put him well ahead of all his peers and competition. “The company has been developed to within an inch of its life, being modernised and everything, and it’s not an easy thing to do, I’ve taken some considerable risks.”
Boy, have these risks paid off though. Now, as Director of the company, he earns between £70k and £90k a year, (“I spend it wisely”). However, for this he has to look after three sites, six business properties, 35 staff cars, 65 courtesy cars and 48 employees. Not an easy job by any stretch of the imagination.
“I did once try to delegate, by hiring a secretary, but she stole the best part of £100,000 from us so now I keep a close eye on my staff.” A low in his career, this is one of the only times Steve would describe as things not going swimmingly for him. “The rest of the time it’s been quite good. You have to remember; we were originally a small village garage with four staff, run by my mum and dad. Now we own three sites, specialise in MOT Testing and Accident repair, and we have links with insurance companies and regular customers. These things take time to develop but once they’re established they become almost integral to our business’s success.”
It’s quite some success. The advantage of this immense success is a nice lifestyle. He doesn’t deny that the garage industry is very male dominated (“that’s why I have an attractive blonde woman sat on the front desk to answer the phone, greet the customers and make the tea for the lads”). Steve’s lifestyle consists of an Audi Cabriolet, a large house and three other properties, which he rents out. “I wouldn’t change it for anything. Well. Not yet anyway. I’d like to downsize a little, make my life a little bit easier, but the company is moving in different directions and changing all the time, it’s not easy. You’re constantly aware of your changing environment, the changing technology and just constantly trying to better yourself.”
It seems nothing in his life is easy though. His first foray into employment failed, hence working for his parents, and his first marriage didn’t last long either. “That [marriage] was possibly the only regret of my life. I try to take enough risks to get a good result, and if people want a good result they have to work for it, it doesn’t just come easily.”
For now though, Steve is content. Work is being done to his word, and he is keeping a close eye on his finances. “I try to balance myself out with everything. I’ve got one good business, one nice house, both in a nice place. I’m happy with that.”