Automotive Store Refresh Programs Without the Headache
How three leading automotive service brands are delivering while keeping stores open and customers comfortable
Automotive service brands do not have much room for chaos. Stores need to stay operational, customers need a positive experience, and internal teams need confidence that someone is truly keeping the program on track.
That is why brands across the automotive service space turn to Apex. Sometimes the challenge is coordination overload. Sometimes it is avoiding disruption during a remodel. Sometimes it is simply executing consistently across a large footprint. Across the automotive space, three problems show up again and again.
Problem 1: The program becomes too complex to manage internally
Apex is managing about 70 refreshes of this automotive retailer in 2026.
Many automotive refresh programs start with good intentions. A brand identifies stores that need upgrades and begins coordinating vendors, schedules, and scopes of work.
Then reality kicks in.
Vendors ship late. Store managers change. Materials arrive incorrectly. Scope varies from location to location. Suddenly, the internal team is spending more time coordinating problems than actually moving the program forward.
This is the exact situation we’ve been helping one nationwide tire and service brand avoid. Apex is helping manage a refresh program of roughly 70 locations this year. The work includes scheduling, vendor coordination, warehousing, signage, flooring, and store-level execution.
Jordan Kessner, providing Program Management, explained the real value: “We have weekly meetings with all of them to make sure everybody’s on the same page and knows what’s going on. The client really feels the value of this - they’ve been around long enough to know that without PMO, this program could have easily been a complete disaster.”
Problem 2: The remodel disrupts the customer experience
Completely renovated Discount Tire, providing a better customer experience.
Even when the construction plan is solid, many automotive remodels create an unintended problem... they make the customer experience worse while the work is happening.
Most contractors simply put the chairs outside. Employees are relocated to temporary trailers. The store is technically open, but the experience is uncomfortable and chaotic.
For Discount Tire, avoiding that disruption was a priority. That’s why Apex developed a split-showroom approach that kept part of the waiting area open while construction progressed through the other half of the space.
Corey Hargrave explained the impact: “We were able to phase the project so customers and employees could stay comfortable. This minimizes lost revenue while the work is completed.”
That approach also avoided the extra costs for temporary trailer setups. Instead, customers remained in a functioning, air-conditioned showroom while the remodel progressed.
Problem 3: Simple work becomes complicated at scale
Apex has supported O’Reilly Auto Parts on a cyclical painting program.
Not every automotive project is a major remodel. Many brands simply need cyclical maintenance programs... repainting stores, refreshing exteriors, or handling deferred maintenance.
The work itself is straightforward.
The challenge is executing it across dozens or hundreds of locations without creating a logistical headache for the internal team.
For O’Reilly Auto Parts, Apex has supported cyclical repainting programs across the store network. Instead of coordinating multiple regional contractors, the client works with one partner that can execute consistently across the footprint.
The result is not flashy. It is simply easier to manage, freeing up leadership's focus and energy for more important tasks.
Different projects... same need
Across these programs, the pattern is clear. Automotive retailers need a partner who can coordinate complexity, reduce disruption, and execute consistently.
Sometimes that means leading communication across a complicated refresh program. Sometimes it means keeping a showroom functional during construction. Sometimes it means quietly doing the boring work well across a broad footprint.
If you are an automotive service brand planning a remodel, refresh, or rollout program, Apex can help you simplify execution and protect the customer experience. Speak to a rep today!
