Under Construction: Maintaining Rhythm During Construction
by Alana Quartuccio
Embarking on a construction project can feel like a colossal undertaking in the automotive world. A shop owner may believe there is never a right time to sign up for loss in productivity, profit or people – even when there is a slow down at the shop.
Fortunately, the good news is that with the right planning and people in place, an automotive business doesn’t have to sacrifice its operations while having the necessary construction done to upgrade and improve the facility.
Langer Construction (St. Paul) has been in this business for 80 years, and they have come to specialize in the automotive industry. Decades of working with dealerships, auto body shops, service stations and then some, give their team the knowledge and expertise to set up a construction project that works and keeps them in production while the project is ongoing.
They know their way around the structure of an automotive business from outside in and inside out.
Russ Zellmer, president of Langer Construction, explains, “We started as a concrete masonry company. A lot of shops are concrete heavy structures. So, this really is our turf. Working in this type of environment is what we do well.”
The company primarily works with businesses that own and occupy their space, which Zellmer feels is important because “when you occupy your own space, you tend to care a lot more about your building than a developer or someone who just rents the space.” He believes those who own their space genuinely want to mold it into who they are and make the necessary adjustments that work best for their business.
“Every shop is different. There are some similarities; equipment and processes may be the same, but the way they are laid out and the way they operate is always changing,” he observes.
Figuring out what a business’ needs are and how to go about it in a way that’s affordable and keeps cars moving in and out of the facility starts with proper planning.
Recently, the company was able to provide a body shop with structural modifications to allow for the addition of four bays with two post-lifts by raising the structure rather than replacing the roof. “We were able to do structural modifications to give them enough room to get two post-lifts in and four bays they never had before, and the cost was fairly insignificant all things considered,” shares Zellmer. Had they not been able to structurally raise the roof, the project would have been cost prohibitive.
It’s never too early to start planning, says Zellmer, and there may never really be a “right” time because so many factors can weigh in. Having conversations early can identify the needs and possibilities, and through those discussions, owners can get an understanding of what they may need to modify in order to achieve their goals.
“It’s tough to look at what time of year is the best time because if there is a weather event, business could be booming. Service stations tend to be busy all the time. Slow winters could possibly make for a slow down at a body shop, but it can vary as we all know,” explains Zellmer.
The pre-construction process is crucial in determining what can happen, how and when, adds Josh Schultz, vice president of Langer Construction. A lot of questions need to be asked. “We talk as a team to make sense of it all,” Schultz conveys. “Do we start as quickly as possible? How does the city come into play? Once under construction, how do we handle flows of traffic and customers? How do you not turn away customers if you’re doing a large project? Or if it’s small, how do you shut down certain bays but keep the rest open? How do you get cars in and out? How do you keep service techs happy during construction? How do you sell a better space to them during construction, knowing that they’re going to be inconvenienced a bit?”
Changing the traffic pattern at one shop allowed them to complete an addition to a body shop without forcing the shop to close.
“We were able to complete an addition that wrapped two sides of a body shop, and they were able to stay open the entire time,” Zellmer recalls. “Their bays were open the entire time even though we blocked off all but one door into the facility. We just changed the traffic pattern in a way that made sure everyone could still work.”
One dealership could not afford to lose the ability to provide service to their customers, so Langer found a way to arrange it so modification could be done to all of their service bays while keeping some open the entire time. “We built an addition and added service bays. Then we moved one section of service bays, remodeled those and then we moved the other section of service bays, always keeping 22 bays open at any one time,” Zellmer illustrates. Another thing to keep in mind is, if a project is small enough, it can even be done over a weekend.
Because the team knows the automotive business so well, they are prepared and equipped to help businesses do the appropriate modifications to buildings for ADAS work such as putting in a clean room or building a room that meets size requirements for the aiming of cameras and systems.
The Langer Construction team does the designing as well, which streamlines the understanding of what the business needs. We don’t have an architect going in one direction and the business owners going in another. We don’t have budget problems as we are able to manage both the cost and the design at the same time,” according to Zellmer. They will also handle the red tape of whatever city requirements may be involved so the business owner does not have to. “Shop owners may know what they are looking for at their facility, but we’ll navigate with the city to find out what’s allowed, what we can ask for and how to push any boundaries.”
Getting it done really starts with having a goal and a conversation. “We specialize in sitting down with customers early and working through some of these wishes, goals or problems,” adds Schultz. “Whether one seeks solutions for remodeling, service work, or just to shift things around their facility, whatever it may be, bring us on as early as possible and we will figure out the next step.”
Want more? Check out the March 2026 issue of AASP-MN News!