DJ's II Expands with SOWEGA Limo
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010
In tough times, you have to find ways to earn more with the assets you have, according to Jeff Wiggins, who along with his brother Colby Wiggins, owns D.J.’s II Full-Service Car Wash & Quick Lube. Jeff and Colby were looking to maximize the one-acre car wash site as well as the talents of their employees. The answer? Sowega Limousines, LLC.
“Given that we already have a high-visibility location, the ability to wash and service the limos onsite and someone to answer the phones, it just made a lot of sense to open the limo business,” Jeff explained.
D.J.’s II is a family-owned and operated business that was founded in 1973 by Jeff and Colby’s father, David. Its present location was constructed in 1985 as a car wash and three years later a quick lube was added. This year, Sowega Limousine opened, offering service with a late model stretch limousine or the area’s only H1 Hummer limousine.
Filling a need
According to Jeff, Sowega Limousine has gotten off to a strong start. Weddings, anniversaries, football games and birthday parties all offer opportunities for a professionally-run limo service. Restaurants have also reserved the limos for promotions.
“Anyone with credit can buy a limo, but few people will actually run their limo service as a real business,” Jeff said. “I think Albany lacked a legitimate limo service.”
A real person, not an answering machine, answers phones at Sowega Limousine. The company offers qualified drivers and reliable service. It’s the same customer-service orientation as D.J.’s II, where many of the employees have been with the business for years.
Waiting on the economy
Despite the successful expansion into Sowega Limousine, the Wiggins’ overall business has been flat so far in 2010. According to Jeff, that’s pretty typical for many small businesses managing through the recession.
“Neither business is a necessity. Renting a limo or buying a $15 car wash are easy to cut when times are hard,” Jeff continued. “The recession has definitely gotten our attention.”
Given the length and depth of the economic downturn, maintaining some profit or breaking even is itself an accomplishment, according to Jeff. To encourage more economic growth in Albany, Jeff would like to see local leaders ease the tax burden on small businesses, especially property taxes. He believes Dougherty County has disproportionately high property tax rates, which his business struggles to pay every year at this time.
More information on Sowega Limousine is available online at www.sowegalimo.com. More information on D.J.’s II Full Service Car Wash & Quick Lube is available online at www.djsiicarwash.com.
