As the 112th franchisee of Maaco, Alan Troutman started his journey with Maaco back on July 16, 1975 at his shop in Bethlehem, Pa. Exactly 46 years later to the day, he officially hung up his Maaco shirt and is excited to start his next chapter.
Troutman started his journey with Maaco after he was laid off from work. He looked for other business opportunities and decided to pursue franchising. While he researched the big-name franchises, he decided Maaco was the best fit as it was a needed service in his community and it was simple to get started.
“At the time, Maaco in Allentown was doing great,” said Troutman. “They had cars lined up down the street trying to get into their shop. It surprised me how they were always busy. I didn’t fully understand the demand until after we opened and we had weeks where we would write up at least 100 estimates.”
Troutman was brand-new to the automotive world when he first opened his doors at Maaco Bethlehem in 1975. He started with a degree from Pennsylvania State University and several years of work experience, but no training around vehicles or running a business. He had always enjoyed cars as a young man and felt that Maaco was the right decision.
“I just took the leap of faith and it worked out for me,” said Troutman. “Maaco has now become a big part of my life and my life’s work.”
During his time with Maaco, Troutman excelled in the automotive paint and collision repair industry. He was the recipient of many awards, including the Regional Maaco Cup in 1994, and was recognized with the Maaco Master’s Blazer for reaching $1 million in sales for multiple years.
“Looking back, I think my biggest accomplishment was being able to hit those million-dollar years,” said Troutman. “We had a lot of them, and I’m proud that we were able to do the amount of work that we did. At one point, I had six body men working to keep up with the cars.”
As a franchise owner, Troutman had the opportunity to attend several Maaco Conventions around the world. He and his wife would go to the events together, and they were able to visit San Francisco, Hawaii, Dominican Republic, Florida, and New York City.
“The Maaco Conventions are definitely among my best memories,” said Troutman. “We were able to go to places that we wouldn’t have gone to without Maaco.”
Now that he is retired, Troutman is excited to focus on his other business ventures and enjoy life to the fullest. He is sad to say goodbye to Maaco, but excited to see what life brings next.
