Gain Traction

Mike Edge
  • 4.2 (5)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

The Gain Traction Podcast features top tire and auto repair professionals, shop owners, industry executives, and thought leaders.

  1. 15h ago

    Build a Multi-Location Auto Shop That Doesn’t Depend on You

    Nick Best owns B&B Tire & Auto Care, a two-location tire and auto repair business in South Carolina. A second-generation shop owner, he learned the trade through hands-on work in his father’s business, including a year operating a service truck and time performing alignments. He is a Tire Pros dealer and a member of ITDG. His perspective on auto repair shop expansion combines experience in an established family business with the work of buying and developing a second location. Nick also participates in a 20 group with other multi-location owners. In this episode… A second shop needs its own operating approach. The people running it and the customers using it bring different demands. For a multi-location owner, the work of auto repair shop expansion includes deciding which processes to keep consistent and which ones to adapt. Nick expected to carry established processes into his second location. He was able to adopt many of them, but others required another look. Success at the original shop did not settle how the next one should run. Those differences need attention as soon as another location becomes part of the business. The ownership model also shapes the work. Nick’s father built a successful operation by staying closely involved with customers and daily activity. Nick respected that commitment while recognizing how difficult it was to take time off. He hired a business coach and began reconsidering how much of the operation needed his direct involvement. Having children gave his staffing decisions a personal purpose. Nick still works in the shop, but additional help gives him more choice over when he is involved. He values the time that support creates for his family more than the money saved by doing the work himself. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [00:47] Nick Best and B&B Tire & Auto Care [05:19] Why processes need adjusting when adding a second shop [08:30] Building a team that reduces dependence on the owner [11:24] Understanding the responsibilities of taking over a family business [15:14] What retired business owners would choose to do differently [21:06] How salespeople create value through candid advice and useful information [26:56] How parenthood changed Nick’s priorities at work and home Resources mentioned in this episode: Nick Best on LinkedInB&B Tire & Auto Care WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “So my model is very different now, and it starts with the people.”“Little did I know that I had it really good and easy working in the shop outside of running the business because that was where everything just piles up on you.”“It's not worth it to sacrifice what time I can get with them.”Action Steps: Review a shared process before standardizing it across locations. Make this part of planning auto repair shop expansion. Ask each manager to walk through how jobs move from the service counter to technicians, then document an adjustment needed at that location.Give a manager clear ownership of one recurring responsibility. Start with a task such as routine customer follow-up. Agree on the decisions they can make independently and when they need to involve you. Review the handoff at the end of the week.Ask a peer or coach for feedback on a specific operating issue. Schedule a short conversation with another shop owner or your business coach. Bring a process that needs attention and ask for a concrete change to test at your location.Get a retired owner’s perspective on time spent in the business. Contact an owner who has sold or retired. Ask what they would change about their daily involvement, then write down one responsibility to reconsider in your own operation.Arrange coverage for a family commitment. Put a commitment on next week’s calendar and discuss coverage with your manager. Confirm who will handle the work normally assigned to you during that time.

    Build a Multi-Location Auto Shop That Doesn’t Depend on You

  2. Sep 30

    Open an Auto Repair Location Without Building a Shop

    Ceasar Cordon is the outside business development director at Fifth Gear Automotive in North Texas. He entered the automotive industry in 2017 after working in electronics and gained experience in shop management and service advising before moving into business development. At Fifth Gear, he leads a team that builds referral relationships with other repair shops, a channel he says influences approximately 35% of the organization’s revenue. His perspective on auto repair shop expansion combines customer service experience with the practical work of reaching new markets. In this episode… Reaching customers in another city does not always require building another repair shop. Fifth Gear Automotive uses satellite service centers to establish a local presence while sending vehicles to existing shops for the actual work. Cordon describes permitting barriers in North Texas that made traditional expansion difficult. The company borrowed the operating model of a dry cleaner: customers use a convenient local storefront, and the service happens elsewhere. Customers also arrange vehicle pickup through these satellite locations. For owners planning their next location, the immediate decision is where to add customer access and where to add repair capacity. Those investments serve different purposes. Cordon reports that some satellite locations receive very little foot traffic, yet their local presence helps generate calls from customers who prefer a business in their own city. The lower overhead comes with operational responsibilities. Vehicles need transportation, calls need ownership, and customers need accurate expectations. Fifth Gear assigns satellite inquiries to an experienced service advisor who understands what its shops deliver. The storefront creates access; the existing operation still has to fulfill the promise. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [01:31] Ceasar Cordon’s experience in shop operations and business development [03:54] Building customer trust through clear repair recommendations [06:48] Fifth Gear’s specialization in major repairs [09:15] Fifth Gear’s satellite model for auto repair shop expansion [15:47] Extending market reach through shop referral partnerships [19:19] Coaching service advisors to convert calls into shop visits Resources mentioned in this episode: Fifth Gear Automotive on LinkedInFifth Gear Automotive WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “We aren't the cheapest, and that's fine.”“We don't know what we don't know, and we're okay with that.”“You overpromise, underdeliver, and that's never what you want to do.”Action Steps: Map one potential satellite market. Plot your existing shops and identify a nearby area you want to serve. Use Fifth Gear’s reported five-to-seven-mile range as a starting point for your own evaluation. Check actual drive times and vehicle transport requirements before selecting a location.Separate customer access from repair capacity in your expansion budget. Build a side-by-side estimate for a reception-only satellite and a full repair facility. Include staffing and vehicle transportation in the satellite estimate. Ground your auto repair shop expansion plan in the capacity your existing shops have available.Assign an experienced advisor to satellite inquiries. Choose someone who understands your repair capabilities and internal processes. Document who owns each customer’s call, transportation arrangements, and repair updates so the handoff between locations stays clear.Review customer calls with your service advisors. Schedule a session this week and listen to calls that resulted in appointments alongside calls that did not. Identify one specific response to improve, practice it together, and check its use in the next review.Start a focused referral outreach list. Identify nearby shops that do not handle the major repairs your team performs. Contact their managers to explain your capabilities and establish a clear referral contact. Give them a practical reason to trust you with work they send out.

    Open an Auto Repair Location Without Building a Shop

  3. Sep 23

    Can’t Sell From an Empty Rack: The Tire Inventory Rule

    Kyle Blankenhorn is co-owner of Ken’s Tire, a 50-year tire and automotive service business with three locations in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, plus a commercial truck tire center and road service operation. Its stores have warehouse space and carry roughly 2,500 to 3,000 tires per location. Kyle brings an operator’s perspective to tire inventory management, supplier relationships, customer retention, and hiring. He also helps lead a team of about 50 employees and reports very little turnover across the business. In this episode… Tire inventory creates two expensive problems: empty racks send time-sensitive customers elsewhere, while slow-moving stock consumes cash and warehouse space. Strong tire inventory management requires enough size and price-point coverage to serve the local market without treating every available tire as a necessary purchase. New vehicles continue to introduce additional tire sizes, making broad coverage harder for shops and distributors. Kyle’s position is practical: customers often buy the tire that is available because waiting until the next day interferes with work and daily responsibilities. The shop with the tire on hand often gets the sale, regardless of brand. First tire sales also shape the long-term customer relationship, at Ken’s Tire, repair work follows the trust built through tire sales, consistent service, and quality work. Customers return over time, and entire families continue using the business. The same operating discipline extends to hiring. Kyle prioritizes consistent work history over formal credentials because technical skills can be taught. A dependable employment record gives him greater confidence in the time, energy, and money required to train someone properly. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [03:33] From career pivot to tire business leadership [05:38] Strategic tire buying and supplier relationships [08:06] Inventory capacity, product mix, and sales [11:36] Aging vehicles and rising repair demand [13:37] How tire sales build long-term customer relationships [16:55] A retention-focused approach to technician hiring [21:22] Hands-on experience as a technician training standard Resources mentioned in this episode: Ken’s Tire WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “The more you have, the more you sell.”“Bottom line, can’t sell from an empty cart.”“But he who has it is going to sell it.”“The only thing that matters to me is work history.”“I can teach you the rest of the way through.”“I do not want to train new people every six months.”Action Steps: Strengthen tire inventory management with a location-level report covering the past 12 months of sales. Separate high-volume sizes, steady sellers, aging inventory, and products with no recent movement.Track every lost sale caused by unavailable inventory for 30 days. Record the requested size, preferred price point, available substitute, and whether another location had the tire.Set minimum and maximum stocking levels for each store based on local sales history. Transfer existing inventory between locations before placing another order.Build a supplier reference sheet covering primary contacts, alternate sources, lead times, payment terms, and direct-buy opportunities. Review the list with every store manager.Add consistent work history to the technician screening process. Ask candidates how long they stayed in previous roles, then invest training resources in people who have demonstrated reliability.

    Can’t Sell From an Empty Rack: The Tire Inventory Rule

  4. Sep 16

    How Empathy Is Transforming the Auto Repair Experience

    Tara Conlin is a service manager and operator at Mango Automotive, an eight-location auto repair group serving Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. She began her automotive career at age 18 and spent most of it as a service advisor before moving into leadership. At Mango Automotive, she grew one location while developing a people-centered approach to customer service in auto repair. In this episode… Vehicle repairs rarely feel like neutral transactions. Customers arrive concerned about transportation and unexpected costs. A cold reception adds to that stress before anyone inspects the vehicle. The old gruff, transactional service model no longer matches the expectations customers bring to today’s repair shops. Every employee departure also puts a familiar customer relationship at risk. Multi-location operators need consistent leadership that supports advisors, strengthens technician morale, and gives customers a reason to trust every location. A polished lobby helps set the tone, but the experience depends on the people running the shop. Conlin treats empathy as an operating practice that shapes customer conversations and gives employees room to address problems before those problems affect the team. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [01:09] Tara’s transition from service advisor to shop manager [03:12] Understanding the personal stress behind a customer’s vehicle repair [09:12] How service advisor turnover affects customer trust [14:27] Making repair visits less stressful through a welcoming environment [18:52] Building a team that supports each other through difficult days [22:36] How a childhood book shaped Tara’s perspective on adversity [25:16] Tara’s experience as a woman leading an automotive team Resources mentioned in this episode: Tara Conlin on LinkedInMango Automotive WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “These are people's livelihoods sometimes, right?”“A lot of customers really like that show and tell experience where they feel like they're a part of the process and not just, you know, getting the information second hand.”“One of the big contributors to what I feel like is my success is the culture and morale that we built.”“I, you know, I want them to feel like they are supported and that, you know, their work has value, they as a person have value.”Action Steps: Standardize the opening interaction. Set a location-wide expectation for customer service in auto repair that covers the greeting and the timing of the next update.Use explicit trust handoffs. When a customer’s preferred advisor is unavailable, introduce the replacement by name and state your confidence in that person.Assign a daily front-of-house reset. Check the floors, seating, refreshments, and overall comfort before opening each location.Schedule short weekly check-ins with advisors and technicians. Record one current obstacle and assign a clear next step before ending the conversation.Make visual inspections part of the customer experience. Bring customers into the shop safely or use photos to show the work instead of relying only on secondhand explanations.

    How Empathy Is Transforming the Auto Repair Experience

  5. Sep 9

    Why Busy Tire Shop Counters Shouldn’t Answer Every Call

    Jeff Deans is Vice President of St. Lucie Battery & Tire, an 18-location tire and automotive service company based in Florida. His operating experience covers tire shop customer service, centralized phone support, reputation management, customer retention, and multi-location growth. During the company’s expansion, St. Lucie Battery & Tire built a six-person call center to handle advertised phone lines, appointment scheduling, and customer follow-up. Deans also works on the shared services and technology required to support further growth. In this episode… Busy service counters divide an advisor’s attention between the customer in the store and the caller on the phone. St. Lucie Battery & Tire addresses this conflict with a six-person call center that answers tire questions, manages appointments, and follows up with customers while store advisors remain focused on face-to-face service. Deans connects this approach to a broader view of tire shop customer service. Advisors need to avoid judging customers by their vehicles, take ownership of service problems, and recommend tires based on driving habits and long-term value. The same discipline guides expansion as the company strengthens its technology and shared services before adding locations. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [03:12] Customer acquisition in a growing tire retail market [06:50] Centralized call handling and front counter service [13:11] AI-assisted sales coaching for tire retail teams [15:55] Tire recommendations based on driver needs and vehicle requirements [18:34] Resolving service issues and restoring customer trust [27:41] Building operational capacity for multi-store expansion Resources mentioned in this episode: Jeff Deans on LinkedInSt. Lucie Battery & Tire WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “You give what they need on the phone, they’re going to come in to see you.”“We take every opportunity with every customer real serious, and we try and capitalize and make the most of it.”“When something doesn’t go right, just put it in a headlock.”“And once they understand that they are important to you, it becomes an us against the problem type situation instead of them against us, even though we’re there to fix it.”Action Steps: Measure counter interruptions. Track call volume, abandoned calls, and interrupted customer conversations during one full shift.Assign phone ownership. Route calls to a dedicated employee or centralized team with access to scheduling, pricing, and inventory.Protect tire shop customer service. Keep advisors focused on active repair discussions instead of routine phone coverage.Review capacity before expanding. Resolve gaps in staffing, technology, and shared services before adding another location.

    Why Busy Tire Shop Counters Shouldn’t Answer Every Call

  6. Sep 2

    Auto Shop Growth Through a Neighborhood-First Strategy

    Bryan Kauffeld is a second-generation operator at Ulmer’s Auto Care Center, a family-owned automotive repair business with 11 locations across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. His father purchased the original two-bay service station in 1981. Kauffeld joined the company after studying finance and management at Purdue University. He spent about 18 years at the counter in Anderson Township before moving into broader leadership. His experience growing an auto repair business now covers site selection, team development, and customer service across multiple locations. In this episode… Most shop operators begin a location search by looking for the busiest road. Ulmer’s starts with the number of households surrounding a property. Bryan Kauffeld looks for locations within walking or short driving distance of roughly 15,000 to 20,000 single-family homes. Proximity makes auto repair more convenient, customers avoid fighting traffic, and each Ulmer’s location gains access to the car count already living nearby. Convenience brings customers through the door, but service earns the return visit. Kauffeld focuses on memorable first and second visits because neighbors share their experiences and follow recommendations from people they trust. Growing an auto repair business also requires leaders who can protect the customer experience without the owner at the counter. Ulmer’s managers and service advisors receive the authority to solve problems, keeping service consistent as the company adds locations. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [01:49] How a two-bay shop became the family business [03:40] Why Bryan joined Ulmer’s and opened a second location [06:43] How stepping away from the counter unlocked growth [10:19] Why rooftops matter more than road traffic [13:57] How memorable service creates neighborhood referrals [17:46] Why employee support and autonomy reduce turnover [23:36] Making “do the right thing” an operating principle Resources mentioned in this episode: Bryan Kauffeld on LinkedInUlmer’s Auto Care Center WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “We like to be in the middle of a neighborhood.”“Neighbors tend to talk.”“We do what I think is an exceptional job of wowing customers, especially on their first and second visit.”“It doesn’t matter what that decision cost us.”“There’s plenty of room to grow here.”Action Steps: Transfer one owner-held decision. Choose a recurring front-counter decision and assign it to a manager tomorrow. Review the outcome without taking the authority back.Give advisors customer-recovery authority. Write down the default: take care of the customer. Treat later reviews as coaching conversations rather than approval checkpoints.Audit the first two visits. Review 10 recent new-customer repair orders. Identify where communication, transportation, or personal attention fell short, then correct one step this week.Create a neighborhood location scorecard. Measure each prospective site by nearby single-family homes, neighborhood access, and customer convenience. Give passing traffic a supporting role rather than making it the entire strategy.Protect front-counter continuity. Growing an auto repair business requires customers to trust more than the owner. Identify the advisor who already carries strong customer relationships and schedule a focused conversation about the support needed to keep that person.

    Auto Shop Growth Through a Neighborhood-First Strategy

  7. Aug 26

    From 1 to 5 Tire Shops on Handshake Deals

    Tannin Cash is the owner of Delta Tire, a five-location tire business in New Mexico with more than 50 employees. He entered the industry at 23 after purchasing his first shop with his brother while enrolled in an engineering program. His experience scaling a tire shop business includes owner-financed acquisitions, multi-store operations, and the development of tire-focused management software. In this episode… Delta Tire’s first two location deals came directly from owners who carried the financing. The first purchase followed an informal conversation with the shop owner. The second took eleven months of steady follow-up before Cash secured a lease with an option to buy. Relationships opened the door, while persistence and a strong service reputation moved each deal forward. The harder problem surfaced as the company expanded. Cash and his brother launched ventures outside the shops, creating distractions that competed with the core operation. Adding more stores demanded tighter priorities and repeatable systems across every location. That operating discipline matters as tire retail adopts new software and shop technology at a faster pace. Cash’s work with a tire-focused management platform turned new-location setup into a repeatable process and gave Delta Tire a consistent structure for continued growth. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [01:15] How Tannin Cash bought his first tire shop [04:50] How Delta Tire grew from one location to five [09:56] Why outside ventures distracted from tire shop growth [12:05] How tire-focused software supports multi-location operations [17:33] How SEMA connects technology, networking, and industry advocacy [24:18] What tire shop owners learn from industry peers [27:36] Why entrepreneurship can compete with a college education [31:37] Why developing employees makes tire retail rewarding Resources mentioned in this episode: Tannin Cash on LinkedInDelta Tire WebsiteTread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “You need to do your best, so always do your best.”“We can’t win at everything all at once.”“This industry is usually slow to move, but I feel like in the last five years, the tire industry is moving so quickly.”“The customers of tire shops are the best customers.”“We’ve got more than 50 people that work for us, and I love getting to work with the people, seeing them develop, seeing them grow.”Action Steps: Create a 12-month acquisition follow-up list tomorrow. Record each owner’s contact details, property status, and next outreach date.Ask sellers about owner-carried financing before assuming a bank-funded deal. Put the proposed down payment and repayment structure in writing.Run a distraction audit with the leadership team. Pause one venture that takes attention from the shops without improving store performance.Make scaling a tire shop business repeatable. Document the steps for launching a location inside the management system and assign one person to own the process.

    From 1 to 5 Tire Shops on Handshake Deals

  8. Aug 19

    Turn Your Business Into a System You Can Franchise

    Ron Ramy is the COO of Integrity 1st Car Pros, a bootstrapped automotive repair company operating 14 locations at the time of this conversation. He joined the company in 2020 when it had four locations, bringing experience in software, automation, data, and organizational growth from his earlier work at a real estate technology startup. Ramy has worked across departments to understand how the business operates and where stronger systems are needed. His work on franchising an auto repair shop has centered on documenting processes, developing leaders, and creating an operating model that someone outside the automotive industry can learn within 90 days. In this episode… An auto repair business does not become scalable simply by opening more locations. Growth exposes undocumented decisions, inconsistent hiring practices, compensation plans that break at higher revenue levels, and daily operations that still depend on the owner. The work of franchising an auto repair shop forces those hidden dependencies onto paper. Integrity 1st faced that pressure while converting its corporate-store experience into a franchise model. Recruiting shifted from judgment-based hiring to panel interviews, defined questions, checklists, and compensation ranges. Incentive plans also required redesign because structures built for stores producing $1 million to $1.5 million became unsustainable as revenue moved beyond $2 million. The franchise process also changed how leadership received feedback. Franchisees brought questions that revealed missing procedures, while employees closest to customers provided context that dashboards could not show. Ramy connects that openness to internal development, practical problem-solving, and a hiring philosophy built around character, charisma, and competency. Tires represent another operational opportunity for the company. They currently account for a smaller share of store revenue, but Ramy views the category as a durable service line with room for growth, especially as vehicle technology continues to change. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:  [01:23] How Ron Ramy entered the auto repair industry [06:32] Why franchising requires documented, repeatable business systems [14:53] Creating a business that can operate without its owner [18:02] Why tires represent an untapped growth opportunity [19:23] Why solving problems matters more than identifying them [21:58] How employee curiosity creates new leadership opportunities [29:11] Why character matters more than competency when hiring Resources mentioned in this episode: Tread PartnersGain Traction Podcast on YouTubeGain Traction Podcast WebsiteMike Edge on LinkedInQuotable Moments: “Do I even have a system, or is my business mostly relying on discernment?”“Anytime the emotions are seven to 11, just don't make a decision.”“It's always going to reward the best solution.”“And at the end of the day, we are going to always be rewarded in direct proportion to the size or complexity of the problems we solve.”“So their feedback is extremely valuable, and obviously, you have to parse through the signal and noise of what they're saying.”Action Steps: Record every decision that requires owner approval for one week. Turn recurring decisions into written procedures with a clear trigger, responsible role, and expected result.Replace informal recruiting with a panel interview, a standard set of questions, a candidate scorecard, and defined compensation ranges for technicians and service advisors.Test incentive plans against stores producing $1 million, $2 million, and $3 million in annual revenue. Adjust payouts that become unbalanced as sales increase.Assess the operation for franchising an auto repair shop by giving documented procedures to a manager from another location. Track every point that still requires explanation or owner involvement.Hold a monthly frontline feedback review with general managers, advisors, and technicians. Record operational gaps, assign responsibility, and test proposed solutions inside a corporate location.

    Turn Your Business Into a System You Can Franchise
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4.2
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About

The Gain Traction Podcast features top tire and auto repair professionals, shop owners, industry executives, and thought leaders.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Edge
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    248
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025, All Rights Reserved. Gain Traction Podcast.
  • Show Website
    Gain Traction

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