How a Purple Heart Veteran Became a 6-Shop Auto Repair Owner [RR 1097]
About this episode
AJ De Bono, a US Marine veteran who received two Purple Hearts, shares how he turned humility and planning into multi-store auto repair ownership. After being injured on his last tour, he bought Deal Auto Repair in 2016 and used SBA-backed financing—plus a $75,000 down payment—to build from a small team into a growing operation. The conversation also covers bank/SBA underwriting, KPI-driven improvements, cash-flow risk when scaling, and a smoother shop takeover process tied to Napa’s Gold Certified program.
What does it take to grow from a single auto repair shop to six locations in less than a decade?
Host Carm Capriotto sits down with AJ DeBuono to discuss his journey from serving as a U.S. Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan to becoming a successful multi-shop operator. AJ shares the lessons learned through rapid growth, the acquisition strategy that has fueled his expansion, and how military discipline, financial discipline, and a commitment to people have shaped his leadership approach.
Rather than buying struggling businesses and attempting turnarounds, AJ focuses on acquiring profitable shops with untapped potential.
What You'll Learn
- How AJ leveraged SBA veteran loan programs to purchase and expand his first auto repair business
- Why he prefers acquiring profitable shops instead of distressed operations
- The key performance indicators he targets to quickly improve profitability
- How military leadership principles influence his management style and business decisions
- The importance of creating career advancement opportunities through expansion
- Lessons learned from growing too quickly and navigating financial stress
- How AJ approaches shop transitions to minimize disruption for employees and customers
- Why maintaining strong personal relationships with team members remains a priority despite operating multiple locations
Growth is not simply about adding locations. It's about creating opportunities for your people, building systems that scale, and maintaining the discipline to make smart decisions when the pressure is highest. AJ DeBuono's story demonstrates that successful expansion comes from acquiring the right businesses, investing in your team, and staying focused on long-term value rather than short-term gains. AJ DeBuono, Diehl Auto Repair, Chicago, IL Learn more about NAPA Auto Care and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting https://www.napaonline.com/en/auto-care
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/
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The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/
- Remarkable Results Radio Podcastwith Carm Capriotto:Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion.https://remarkableresults.biz/
- Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z:From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/
- Business by the Numbers: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/
- The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/
- The Weekly Blitz: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/
- Speak Up! Effective Communication: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills with Craig O'Neill.https://craigoneill.captivate.fm
Chevrolet Trax
"...ch to our great sponsors. We'll prove to you that Trax is the single best shot management system in the ..."
The Chevrolet Trax is a small SUV made for regular driving. It’s meant to be practical and easy to handle, with room for passengers and everyday cargo. People may bring it up when talking about good options for daily transportation.
The Chevrolet Trax is a compact crossover SUV designed for everyday driving, with a practical size and easy-to-live-with layout. It’s often discussed because it’s positioned as an accessible option for people who want SUV styling and utility without moving up to a larger vehicle. In a podcast, it may be mentioned in the context of why it’s a strong choice for typical daily needs.
digital vehicle inspections
"or hire on Google, Yelp or Napa CSI, use digital vehicle inspections, offer Napa consumer financing, purchase $7,500 or more in Napa Parts monthly,"
Instead of writing everything on paper, the shop uses a tablet or computer to check the car and take photos. Then they show you what they found so you can decide what to approve.
Digital vehicle inspections are a paperless way for a repair shop to document a car’s condition using forms and photos (often on a tablet). The goal is to create clear, itemized findings that customers can review, which helps reduce misunderstandings and speed up approvals.
Napa CSI
"or hire on Google, Yelp or Napa CSI, use digital vehicle inspections, offer Napa consumer financing, purchase $7,500 or more in Napa Parts monthly,"
CSI here is a customer satisfaction score tied to how customers rate the shop. The better the score, the more likely the shop is to be recognized or recommended.
Napa CSI refers to a customer service/experience scoring program tied to how customers rate and interact with a shop. In this context, it’s presented as a way shops can be evaluated and promoted based on customer feedback.
Napa consumer financing
"use digital vehicle inspections, offer Napa consumer financing, purchase $7,500 or more in Napa Parts monthly, and participate in a Napa Business Development Group."
Financing means the customer can spread the repair cost out over payments. It can help people say yes to repairs they might not be able to pay for immediately.
Consumer financing is a way for customers to pay for repairs over time rather than all at once. When a shop offers it through a program like Napa’s, it can make higher-ticket repairs easier for customers to approve.
Gold Certified Shops
"It's a true partnership and in return, Napa rewards Gold Certified Shops with premium benefits like free priority placement on the NapaOnline.com locator, annual marketing funds, enhanced warranties, rebates, training opportunities, and a whole lot more."
“Gold Certified Shops” is a certification tier used by Napa to recognize shops that meet certain requirements. The segment ties it to benefits like marketing support, priority directory placement, and enhanced warranty/rebate/training offerings.
NapaOnline.com locator
"Gold Certified Shops with premium benefits like free priority placement on the NapaOnline.com locator, annual marketing funds, enhanced warranties, rebates, training opportunities, and a whole lot more."
It’s basically a website tool that lists shops in your area. Priority placement means the shop shows up higher or more visibly when people search for a repair shop.
The NapaOnline.com locator is an online directory that helps customers find nearby Napa-affiliated shops. “Free priority placement” means the shop appears more prominently in search results within that directory.
warranties
"free priority placement on the NapaOnline.com locator, annual marketing funds, enhanced warranties, rebates, training opportunities, and a whole lot more."
A warranty is a guarantee that if a covered problem comes back after the repair, the shop will fix it (or help pay for it).
In an auto-repair context, warranties are promises about what the shop or parts supplier will cover if something fails after the repair. The segment frames “enhanced warranties” as a benefit of being a Gold Certified Shop.
shop management system
"Let's face it, your shop management system is the single most important tool in your shop, period. Napa Tracks was built from the ground up to make your business more profitable and efficient."
This is the software the repair shop uses to organize jobs and keep track of everything. It helps the shop estimate work, schedule cars, and communicate with customers.
A shop management system is software used by auto repair businesses to run day-to-day operations—like writing estimates, tracking work orders, managing appointments, and handling customer communication. The segment emphasizes it as the most important tool for shop efficiency and profitability.
Napa Tracks
"Napa Tracks was built from the ground up to make your business more profitable and efficient. We provide an extensive set of tools to increase and track profitability in real time."
Napa Tracks is software for auto repair shops. It helps the shop run better day-to-day and includes training and support for the people using it.
Napa Tracks is Napa’s shop management system software, positioned here as a tool to improve profitability and efficiency. The host claims it includes tools to track performance in real time and provides both on-site and remote training/support.
post-sale support
"Napa Tracks offers the industry's best post-sale support, hands down, and we train your people on-site."
Post-sale support means help after you buy something. Here it means training and assistance after the shop starts using the system.
Post-sale support refers to help provided after a product or service is purchased—such as training, troubleshooting, and ongoing assistance. In this segment, it’s used to describe how Napa supports shops after adopting Napa Tracks.
Ford Capri
"...iate it, sir. Also, enjoy the podcast on our Karm Capri Auto YouTube channel. Karm is all for advancing t..."
The Ford Capri is a sporty-looking car that was made as a compact coupe. People talk about it because it’s a well-known model from the past and is remembered by car fans. It’s the kind of car you might hear about when discussing classic Ford history.
The Ford Capri is a classic European-style personal sports coupe that became popular as a compact, affordable way to enjoy a sporty look and driving feel. It’s often discussed in automotive history because it represents Ford’s approach to the “everyday sports” segment during its era. In a podcast, it may come up as a recognizable nameplate tied to classic design and enthusiast interest.
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