Big goals as the basis for the success of MIK Motoren
In 2021 we celebrated the 10th anniversary of MIK Motoren . Reason enough to learn something about the beginnings of the tinkering business and the path to independence. In the following interview, Marvin Kobus lists the key events and the nature of the changes in his company (MIK Motoren GmbH) since it was founded in 2011 .
"An achievable goal can only be a step on the way to the top."
When I started working on engines in 2010 alongside my training as a mechatronics engineer at the rolling bearing manufacturer Koyo Bearings, I was of course not aware of the dimensions this work would one day take on. But one thing was clear then, as it is now:
It's not possible, it doesn't exist!
And so I started taking engines apart on my own, doing whatever repairs I could and rebuilding them with the help of local repairers, manuals and a lot of research.
I still explain to my employees today: "What works logically also works in reality." I began to develop systems that made it easier for me to measure and check components and saved my memory. To this day, we successfully use parts of the checklists and guidelines from that time at MIK Motoren. In contrast to other trades in the craft industry, the job of engine repairer is dying out because the basic content of this job has been replaced by the automotive mechatronics technician or is no longer needed. It is well known that few automotive workshops successfully tinker with engines, which gave rise to a business model for MIK Motoren.
When we started doing the repairs commercially in 2011, we used the internet on platforms like eBay or our very simply designed MIK Motoren website to sell the product "replacement engine". At the time, we were one of the few repairers who sold reconditioned replacement engines online. We started with the VW GTI models from the 80s (1.8 16V, 2.0 16V, 1.8 G60) and the notoriously difficult to handle VR6 engines from the Golf, Corrado, Passat, etc. We found a very good niche in the area of petrol combustion engines. Diesel engines were never a big issue because handling them and their structure (injection pump, injectors, etc.) required additional knowledge that we did not have at the time. That is different today.
I focused on the goal of setting up a MIK engine repair shop that would make all engines available online and offer customers the best possible service. I quickly realized that customers' requirements are very individual. One wants a replacement engine that is as close to a factory-new engine as possible, the other just wants a running engine, with no visual requirements, purely based on price. So I had to come up with something to cover the various customer requirements and finally introduced a tiered system that is still in place today.
MIK Motoren grew and we had to change location several times. I tried not to consider the risk of financing until we had all the machines we needed to set up a full-fledged engine repair shop. The goal of MIK Motoren GmbH was to be achieved, but not by any means necessary. And so we moved to a larger hall almost every year, recruited employees and grew to what we are today: a full-fledged engine repair shop .
2011 - 2012
Founded in Dissen aTW
The maintenance and repair of engines began around 2011 in a small outbuilding of a local car repair shop in the town of Dissen am Teutoburger Wald, which we had rented until then. We started as a two-man company, carrying out repairs on mainly VW engines (VR6, 16V, G60) alongside our training. The engines, which were considered vulnerable at the time, offered us the opportunity to gain a lot of experience in engine construction in a short time. We sold the engines on the Internet on the well-known platforms. The drive was already of an extremely good quality compared to the competition. We therefore felt it was unavoidable to have all the work carried out by a single source and so the machine park grew quite quickly. We bought older machines from workshops in the area. Many repairers were already quite old and completely overwhelmed by the Internet sales option. This offered MIK Motoren a niche in which we have remained to this day.
2013 - 2015
Bad Laer
After we had gained our first experience in the automotive business and the website brought in more and more orders, the 80m² at the first location quickly became too small and we moved with all of our machines to nearby Bad Laer. Here we rented a hall of around 300m² and had enough space to purchase more machines and our own lifting platform. Finally independent of other automotive workshops, we expanded the product portfolio and from here on offered engine service for several manufacturers. The manpower of the 2-man company was quickly no longer sufficient and employees in the engine repair area were sought and hired. We began to prepare replacement engines and offer them as an exchange offer on the Internet. The so-called replacement engines offer the customer the opportunity to get a replacement unit as quickly as possible in the event of an engine failure, to convert its attachments such as gearboxes etc. 1:1 and only send the old remaining engine back to us after the repair. We maintain this business model to this day and thus offer our customers the best service!
2016 - 2018
Dissen aTW
In 2016 we took the opportunity to move again. This time we didn't rent the property, but owned it. The new premises were not to be much bigger, but much more spacious with a separate office, social rooms and a private toilet. We also began to structure and separate and set up the new workshop for the individual work processes. For the first time, the dismantling, cleaning, processing and assembly departments were set up, which still exist today. The assembly was designed to be particularly elaborate and clean. The place where the engines are assembled should be as tidy as possible and separated from all other work areas so that the highest level of cleanliness and therefore quality can be offered. We began to hire more employees and train them in master classes. At our peak, we employed up to 9 people at our relatively manageable location in Dissen aTW and thus created the basis for who we are today!
2018 - today
Hilter aTW
At the beginning of 2018, we decided to relocate again. The workshop, which had previously been located in a residential area, was obviously too small and was quickly overwhelmed by day-to-day business. In addition, the busy truck traffic for the delivery and collection of the engines could no longer be managed amicably. It was time to expand the business further and we acquired a commercial hall from 2008 in order to completely convert it to our needs. Today, a clean room measuring almost 90m² offers enough space to meet the growing demands of our customers, as well as a machine room, a washroom and a car workshop with a total of 5 lifting platforms and a performance test bench. 12 employees strive every day to offer them the perfect all-round service. Our machine park has now grown to such an extent that we offer almost every activity in the field of engine repair.
See for yourself! We look forward to your visit!
