History of CGYS
Come Get Ya Some Off-road and Performance Center was created in August of 2001. Off-road enthusiast Duane Garretson had already begun a working relationship in the months prior to opening the doors for business. He had traveled to multiple states, rummaging through salvage yards looking for random axles, motors, transfer cases and whatever else he knew someone might be looking for. He was already working from his dirt driveway, cell phone and spending any free moment from his "day job" setting up retail contacts, gaining trust from jobs well done, and selling parts for zero profit to plant his name firmly in the off-road community.
It wasn't long and he had a decent client base of off-roaders who knew who to call when they needed a part or two. Duane was also a member of several local off-road clubs, which helped him expand his customer base, gain valuable trail knowledge, and get lots of hands on experience repairing a variety of different types of vehicles and problems. Growing up driving older junk cars, motorized toys and working alongside his father from a young age proved to be the best experience he could've asked for. When you're used to fixing everything with nothing, some good tools and a real shop with a roof and concrete floors seemed to be a dream come true. When Duane decided to give it a run, he didn't have enough money to rent the building he had hoped, so teaming up with another business owner seemed to be a wise choice. He struck a deal and co-rented a 1500 square foot building to operate two different businesses from in Alma, AR. A 4x4 off-road shop and a welding company- I mean our co-renter had a new welder and half the rent- so he was excited!
Sharing a work space, office, and a tool box with another business wasn't always easy, but I had things he didn't and he had things I didn't, so compromise was the best option for success. Sometimes they leaned on me and me on them, giving each the balance to grow. I had the desire to make this a real business so I was open seven days a week and worked on whatever whenever! I slowly began to stock a few small items and build my tool inventory. I was able to save a little money and buy a shop truck- Boy... was I living high on the hog! With a truck, a concrete floored shop, most of my own tools and a fridge full of Sam's Cola... Life was good, but I wanted more.
Having been open for 18 months, my business had really begun to flourish. The once huge, open, shop had slowly begun to shrink and the 10x20 showroom was almost full. The welding business had also grown well and space was beginning to become a thing of the past. It was time for one of us to move out and take another risk by relocating. At this point in time I started to realize a bigger shop was needed, so the search was on. Worried about possibly having to foot the bill for the entire building and all the utilities, I decided to move from the small town of Alma to the much bigger neighboring city of Fort Smith with hopes of gaining retail traffic.
Locating an old abandoned building on a main highway in Fort Smith, I struck a deal and began renovating the new shop. The building was 10,000sq ft, but I only needed half of it. The rent and utilities seemed awfully high, so I continued to work seven days a week, late nights, and all times in between. Fort Smith was a great choice and the business began to double and then triple...which was super exciting! The business had unexpectedly outgrown the 5000sq feet the business currently occupied, so after I had no choice, but to renegotiate the lease for 7000 square feet. It was just a few years later, and I was inquiring about the entire structure that was once deemed much too big for my needs! At that point the current owners made me a great deal on the building and a purchase wasn't far off.
Here I am several years later, and things are great. CGYS is currently the largest 4x4 shop in the state, with the most in-stock inventory in Arkansas ,and a huge clientele. Here at CGYS we do everything from installing bug-shields and small truck accessories to building some of the baddest off-road machines in the country! We are excited that you're on the website and hope to serve you now and for many years to come. Please take a look at our galleries and shoot us an email or phone call if we can be of assistance.
