Mohammed Sayyah graduated from Tristate University with a degree in chemical engineering, a field he worked in for nearly nine years. During that time, he realized that his real goal was to start a family business.
Sayyah and his brother investigated many franchise opportunities before deciding on Maaco. They opened Maaco Indianapolis in 1988. Now, 34 years later, their operation is truly a family affair.
Sayyah’s entire family works in some capacity in their family business. Son Jay, after graduating with a degree in business and IT, works full-time as an estimator and also handles their IT needs. His daughter, Leana, is also a full-time estimator, and his wife, Wafa, and their daughter, Mona, share the front office duties while Mohammed oversees production.
“We receive a lot of positive comments from customers that they think it is nice that we can all be together as a family each day,” said Sayyah. “Some people ask if that presents a challenge, but everyone has their role and as long as we each stay in our lane, things go very smoothly. It is a blessing to be able to see and work alongside my children so much.”
Sayyad said he treats his 12 production employees like family as well — and several of them actually are family.
“I have a very good team that has been with me for a while,” said Sayyah. “My paint technician and his wife both work here. And my longest tenured body technician and his son both work here as well. Darrell has been with me for 23 years. He must like it here because he drives one hour and 45 minutes each way to work every day!”
After 34 years, the family aspect also extends to Sayyah’s customers.
“I have many customers that I repaired their first car, and now I am repairing their son’s or daughter’s first car,” said Sayyah. “It’s all about doing great work and treating people right. I had one woman come in for an estimate and afterwards she told me that she wasn’t happy that her husband made her bring the car in for an estimate, and she was reluctant because she didn’t know what to expect. But at the end she said that we made it such a pleasant experience for her. She said that everyone was so nice and made her feel comfortable. That type of feedback makes me feel very proud of my family and of my team.”
For more information about joining the Maaco family, visit MaacoFranchise.com.
