Failing at Retirement: Building Eight Shops in Eight Years [THA 486]
About this episode
Eight shops in eight years is the headline, but the real story is how Craftsman’s AutoCare built repeatable systems: digital inspections, clear roles, and a customer experience that feels like “their house.” Guests Matt and Judy Curry share how they started with limited visibility, scaled by training managers and technicians from existing stores, and strengthened growth with Google reviews, clean facilities, and a “10 foot rule.” They also discuss retention benchmarks and how their approach reduces “one and done.”
Carm Capriotto talks with Matt Curry and Judy Curry of Craftsman's Auto Care about building one of the automotive industry’s most respected multi-shop operations twice.
After growing Curry’s Auto Service to 10 locations and retiring in 2013, the Currys returned to the industry with a new vision, launching eight Craftsman’s Auto Care locations in eight years. Matt shares his role as the visionary leader driving momentum and ideas, while Judy explains how operational discipline, marketing, and customer experience keep the business grounded and scalable.
The conversation explores their “5 Ps” philosophy: People, Policies, Processes, Procedures, and Profits, along with their commitment to employee development, strong culture, customer transparency, and community involvement. The Currys also discuss how Digital Vehicle Inspections and an intentional customer experience helped them earn nearly 10,000 five-star Google reviews.
What You’ll Learn
- How Matt and Judy Curry scaled multiple successful shop operations
- Why leadership balance and “staying in your lane” matters
- The “5 Ps” framework for building a strong shop culture
- How employee investment drives long-term success
- Why transparency and DVIs build customer trust
- How culture and customer experience fuel growth and retention
Sustainable growth in automotive repair comes from more than technical expertise. It requires intentional leadership, strong systems, a healthy culture, and a commitment to both employees and customers.
Matt and Judy Curry, Craftsman Auto Care, 8 locations, Virginia Thanks to our Partner, NAPA TRACS NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/ Thanks to our Partner, Today's Class Optimize training with Today's Class: In just 5 minutes daily, boost knowledge retention and improve team performance. Find Today's Class on the web at https://www.todaysclass.com/ Thanks to our Partner, KUKUI Stop juggling multiple marketing tools. KUKUI’s integrated platform delivers 4x better website conversions, automated follow-up, and real-time ROI tracking. Get industry-leading customer support with KUKUI at https://www.kukui.com/ Thanks to our Partner, Pit Crew Loyalty You’re probably tired of chasing new customers who never return. We understand. Pit Crew Loyalty ends the one-and-done cycle, turning first visits into lasting, reliable revenue at https://www.pitcrewloyalty.com/ Connect with the Podcast: ...
Chevrolet Trax
"workflow, efficiency and profitability. Trax always has the flexibility to do business how you..."
The Chevrolet Trax is a small SUV made for regular driving and everyday tasks. It’s meant to be easy to park and handle, and it has room for people and cargo. That’s why it can be useful if you need a vehicle that can handle different kinds of work during the day.
The Chevrolet Trax is a compact crossover SUV designed for everyday driving with practical space and easy maneuverability. It’s often discussed in business-focused conversations because it can fit a variety of day-to-day needs while staying relatively efficient for its class. The “flexibility to do business” angle typically points to how it can support errands, deliveries, or transporting tools and gear.
inspection ticket
"We know that inspecting cars. We didn't do it digitally before we did it with an inspection ticket that the technicians used to get."
An inspection ticket is like a checklist the mechanic fills out when they look over a car. It helps make sure nothing important is missed and that the shop can explain what’s wrong (and what needs fixing).
An inspection ticket is a structured checklist/work order that technicians use to document a vehicle’s condition during a diagnostic or pre-repair inspection. It helps standardize what gets checked and ensures findings are communicated consistently to the shop and the customer.
Red, green or yellow
"They had to check it out. Red, green or yellow, we did that on paper for 17 years."
Red, yellow, and green are a simple way to rank car problems by how urgent they are. Red is usually “fix now,” yellow is “watch closely or plan soon,” and green is “looks okay.”
Red/green/yellow is a common service-communication scheme used in auto shops to categorize inspection findings by urgency. Typically, red means immediate attention, yellow means soon/priority, and green means no action needed.
full inspection
"We still test drive every vehicle before we work on it. We do a full inspection on every car, but from day one when we opened up, we were doing full digital inspections."
A full inspection is a comprehensive shop assessment that goes beyond a quick look, typically covering multiple systems and documenting findings for repair planning. In practice, it’s the foundation for deciding what work is needed and what can be deferred.
full digital inspections
"We do a full inspection on every car, but from day one when we opened up, we were doing full digital inspections. We were embracing the technology and all that."
Full digital inspections mean the shop records the car’s condition using computer tools instead of paper. It can make the results easier to understand and faster to share with the customer.
Full digital inspections are vehicle assessments documented and shared using software (instead of paper forms). Digital workflows can improve consistency, speed up reporting, and make it easier to show customers findings clearly.
5Ps
"I said something I teach and some of my classes called the 5Ps. They only gave you four of them, but it's all about the people, policies, processes, procedures and profits."
The “5Ps” is a simple checklist for running a business. Here it means people, rules, how you do things, the step-by-step procedures, and making sure the business stays profitable.
The “5Ps” is a management framework the speaker uses to structure how a shop succeeds. In this episode, it’s defined as people, policies, processes, procedures, and profits—emphasizing that all five must be “dialed in” for consistent results.
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