Talking Shop with ShopOwner

On this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, host Doug Kaufman dives into the incredible journey of Ritchie Wimmer, a man whose passion for cars transformed his life and the lives of those around him.Ritchie Wimmer wears many hats: shop owner, teacher, racer, and technician. But his story is more than just a resume—it's a testament to perseverance, adaptability and the importa

America loves competition and will tune in to watch competitors battle on TV. Forget about watching washed up fighters slap at each other - you can watch REAL champions compete at the U.S. Auto Tech National Championship Driven by Yokohama for the title of 2024 U.S. Auto Tech National Champion.In this episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner, host Doug Kaufman, editor of ShopOwner Ma

In this episode of Talking Shop with Shop Owner, Lucas Underwood, owner of L&N Performance Auto Repair in Blowing Rock, NC, discusses the impact of Hurricane Helene on the automotive repair community in North Carolina. Lucas describes how his shop and nearby repair businesses have rallied to support their devastated communities. Local shops have cooked meals for first responder

What's the best type of training? Cheap, convenient, and quick might seem to be the best answer. It costs your shop money when your techs are not repairing vehicles, right. Well consider this: training may seem expensive, but continuous training isn't a cost. It's an investment in employees to retain talent and provide high quality service in the automotive repair industry.In this

According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are approximately 5,000 fires in automotive service and repair facilities each year. These fires cause an estimated $108 million dollars in direct property damage, result in about 10 civilian an 3 firefighter injuries, and often spread beyond the initial location resulting in even more damage and even deaths.The worst new

Knowing the different personalities and dominant traits of team members helps with communication and prevents internal conflicts, says John Wade, owner of Super Eagle Auto Care in Charlotte, NC.In this episode of Talking Shop With ShopOwner, Doug Kaufman discusses the challenges of finding, hiring and implementing your next ideal team member.Flexibility and constant adjustment are

We all know the value of training - or do we? Is it always valuable? Is it alway effective? Should it always take top priority?Naturally, you want to say yes, but experts say the RIGHT training for your team's needs is what's really crucial.Today's episode of Talking Shop with ShopOwner focuses on the challenges of training technicians and service advisors in the automotive industr

Charles Dickens might have said it best when he began his story “A Tale of Two Cities” by saying "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” When you think about it, every year end review and new years forecast could be summed up exactly the same way. It’s all in how you look at things. In this 2023 wrapup/2024 forecast episode of Talking Shop With ShopOwner, Dou

When the workday is over, the tools are put away, the computers have gone to sleep, the customers have driven away safely and the last tech has clocked out, washed up and left the parking lot, do you ever just take a minute to put your hands on your hips, look around your shop, take a deep breath and think, “Is this really all there is to life?”If so, you’re probably not alon

We talk a lot about the challenges facing shops these days – from technology to training to technicians, it often feels like we have more problems than solutions.In this episode of Talking Shop With ShopOwner, we endeavor to get answers to some of our questions. Doug Kaufman, editor of ShopOwner and Tomorrow’s Technician, talks with Jen Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation, a nat