CRP 4X4 Truck OutFitters Keeps Northern Colorado Trucks Running Strong
The landscape of Colorado changes in essentially every direction you drive. West of the Denver metro area are lauded ski resorts and hiking trails, while the eastern part of the state boasts sprawling plains and a shipping corridor to Texas and Oklahoma. Head south and you’ll find a rocky mountainous area, with vistas like the San Luis Valley that spills over the border into New Mexico.
The northern part of the state, meanwhile, is its own animal.
Roughly an hour south of the Wyoming border sits Greeley, Colorado, the 11th-most populous city in the state. The Weld County seat is also home to CRP 4X4 Truck OutFitters, an automotive parts and accessories shop serving the area’s truck and auto industry since the late 80s. A true family-owned business, CRP 4X4 is run by Troy Phagan with his parents Charlie and Becky at the helm.
Hard-Working Customers…
With a name like CRP 4X4, one might think the business is a hotspot for Jeep club enthusiasts. However, Phagan says full-size trucks are the shop’s real bread and butter.
“We cater to more hands-on, DIY-type people that aren’t driving a Honda all week and taking the Jeep out on the weekend,” he says. “These are people who live and work with these vehicles, and they want to modify them for better use.”
Customers generally come from nearby places like the oil and gas fields or the ranchlands peppered throughout the county. And, as Phagan points out, more often than not these shoppers are on a budget. While he tries to make sure every person coming through the door has what they need, Phagan says he’s not in the business of pushing more parts simply for the upsell.
“These are guys using the truck to haul stuff to work or haul stuff on the weekend and might occasionally need a leveling kit,” he says. “So, we’re not going to sell them a six-inch spring over conversion when all they need is a two-inch leveling kit that fits with their tires.”
…Require Hard-Working Accessories
Everyday essentials designed for practical use rule the roost. Toolboxes and side steps are popular upfit items, he says, with bolt-on accessories outweighing fabrication at the shop. Occasionally, these sales will piggyback onto upgraded items like electric-powered running boards or some light customization work like a lift and level job with some fresh wheels and tires.
“Generally, though, with the trucks we work on, they’ve got to be ready for everyday use, carrying everything you need,” he explains.
Truck owners with hard work and dirty jobs on the agenda will find plenty of product support at CRP 4X4. The shop offers a long list of rugged accessories including tailgate protectors, bed liners, bed mats, bed extenders, and hitches from brands like DeeZee, Bedrug, Extang, and Demco, just to name a few. As for what rigs are getting into these messes, Phagan says most of the trucks coming through the shop are from the big dogs: Ford, Chevy, and Dodge/RAM. Curiously, he’s noticed a large amount of Nissan Titans rolling through lately.
“It’s kind of a strange thing because Titans are maybe 2% of the entire truck market, and I swear, we see roughly 1% of them here,” he jokes. “They seem to be popular in north Colorado.”
Jeeps, while not the main demographic, are still spotted. With the Rocky Mountains about 40 miles west of the shop, the Seven Slot Nation finds its way to CRP’s showroom. However, since many of the local trails are closed, Phagan says most Jeepers head to the Dakotas or Moab to get their off-road fix.
Right Tool for the Job
Because the shop caters to a work-truck market that needs reliable and versatile products, Phagan says blind brand loyalty has no place in his business.
“I’m never going to be the shop that tells my customer ‘XYZ brand is the top – and that’s what you have to have,’” he says. “I don’t push people into corners and say ‘If you only want a six-inch lift kit, then you have to buy this product, too.’”
Phagan points to brands like Rough Country, ReadyLIFT, Skyjacker Suspension, and BDS Suspension as some of his shop’s go-to brands. When choosing what gets space on his shelves, Phagan says he employs a “Good, Better, Best” approach to ensure there’s a little something for everyone walking into the store.
“A lot of it comes down to brands that work with us and are flexible,” he says, explaining that CRP steers clear of companies that compete with their own dealers, or who practice super-strict sales minimums. And, whenever possible, Phagan tries to carry American-made products.
Just recently, the shop added Merritt Aluminum Products Company to its roster. Located in nearby Fort Lupton, the manufacturer builds work essentials like cab racks, toolboxes, and aluminum and stainless-steel fenders.
Business has been steady for CRP 4X4 even through the lockdown. Still, Phagan says he’s felt the ripple effects of supply chain woes like anyone else in the world who sells manufactured goods. “Shocks have been a big problem for everybody everywhere,” he contends. “And if you can’t get any shocks, you can’t put on a $3,000 lift kit.”
Staying Flexible
With COVID still being a relatively fluid situation, and the oil and gas economy in flux, Phagan says most of the shop’s strategy right now is reactionary and that they’re trying to be as adaptable as possible.
“Oil and gas are down, and the economy is different with the lack of (skilled) employees, but there is an upswing with camping,” he says. “Plus, the overall retail market has changed because people expect us to have everything they see online and for us to match those prices.”
Phagan says although the shop didn’t see a significant influx of camping newcomers over the past year, CRP has still made strides to help any new outdoor enthusiasts that come through. Towing, he says, has been a steady sector of business through the pandemic and hasn’t sunk like some other categories. “We’ve got people coming in that may have never towed (a camper) before,” he says. “They might’ve had a hitch basket, but that’s it, so we try to get them set up.”
Trucks of ALL Sizes
Outside of CRP 4X4’s busy work truck schedule, Phagan is excited about another booming arm of the business: Remote control cars.
These aren’t the $15 Radio Shack cars you might remember from childhood. Under the brand Jackwagon RC, Phagan says he has grown a lucrative “business within the business,” selling souped-up, high-quality RC cars that mirror the performance and build of full-sized rides. Some even feature nitro-fueled power.
“People who aren’t familiar with the hobby might think it’s kids’ stuff,” he says, “but the first customer I had was a 70-year-old retired farmer.”
After visiting the Traxxas booth at SEMA a few years back, Phagan bought a few RC models. Now, about 9 years later, he says the RC business has grown so much that some customers stopping in are there for the RC cars – only realizing later that CRP is actually a full-service shop. The Jackwagon site carries a wide variety of brands for hobbyists, including Traxxas, Kyosho, and Associated Electrics.
“It’s a great way to have motorsports fun without putting yourself in as much danger,” jokes Phagan, noting the hobby connects well with other outdoor pursuits.
Did you know…?
RC cars have been around for more than 50 years, with enthusiasts gathering at tracks, shows, and contests just like any other automotive pastime. Today’s technology certainly looks different, though. Modern RC racers can build a car with electric, gas or nitro-powered engines and nearly every aspect of the vehicle can be upgraded or modified – from tires and suspension to steering and transmission.
A Family Affair
The Phagan family’s roots in automotive trace back to the Midwest, where Troy’s father Charlie worked in a Minnesota autobody shop. Eventually, the Phagans moved to Colorado and, in 1989, Charlie opened an autobody business of his own in the Greeley area. After placing an order for a quart of paint at the local hardware store, the cashier asked Charlie Phagan what business he would like to send the paint to. With no official DBA in place yet – but without missing a beat – he responded “CRP Paint and Body,” referencing his initials. The name stuck even as the business’s focus has changed.
Spray-in bedliners became a service in 1990s, and other parts and accessories joined the inventory lineup over time. Eventually, the front of the shop became a retail store and, in 2001, CRP opened a separate location up the street just for truck accessories. In 2008, Phagan says “we decided that the body shop just wasn’t fun anymore, and we decided to just focus on the auto and truck accessories market.”
As CRP 4X4 moves ahead into the future, its name continues to reflect these small evolutions. Phagan says adding “Truck OutFitters” has helped spell out the shop’s primary profit center. Ultimately, he says he hopes for CRP to be a place that’s always focused on helping auto owners.
“We’ve got a long history of trying to reach the masses and communicate that we do all different types of things for different people,” Phagan says. “I want people to see us as the place where even if you don’t know what you need, come see us and we’ll help you — or point you in the right direction if it’s something we don’t specialize in.”
