How do you scale a six-bay shop without burning out your team—or your customers? Elite Automotive Center’s co-owners share how they’re growing the right way: fill capacity first, lock in systems, and win with relationships (not transactions).
Guests:
Philip Korbel & Brian Teberg — Co-owners, Elite Automotive Center — Fargo, North Dakota
What you’ll learn (shop-owner takeaways):
Why an owner shortage (culture/leadership) beats a “tech shortage” narrative
Car-count math: 260–280/month now, ~360 before adding bays
Building a high-school pipeline (career academies, toolbox help, real training)
Relationship selling: remembering pets & trips > being “transactional”
DVIs with transparency + ride-alongs for “can’t duplicate” noises
Customer experience that lowers anxiety (hotel-lobby vibes, kid-friendly perks)
Training cadence (NAPA/O’Reilly + TechFix) and paying techs to attend
Hiring/firing: 2-stage interviews, red flags, acting faster
Tech stack realities: Mitchell pros/cons, online scheduling, OctoRocket, texting
Fleet growth via speed, quality, fair pricing—and referrals
Coaching, tribes, and how local politics/zoning impact expansion
00:00 – Intro, FB group, Aug ’25 panel
01:29 – Fargo market & rural pull
02:25 – State line rules (ND/MN)
03:45 – Shop size (6 bays)
04:43 – Grow after capacity
06:21 – Car count goals
07:32 – High-school hire
08:13 – “Owner shortage” quote
11:11 – Career Academy pipeline
13:11 – Student tech training
14:34 – Meet Andrea (advisor)
16:02 – Relationships > transactions
18:14 – Pre-trip DVIs
19:13 – Comm preferences
19:58 – Calming waiting room
20:30 – Comfort touches
21:57 – Family-friendly perks
23:31 – DVIs + ride-alongs
24:17 – Ongoing training
25:45 – Reviews & paid training
27:17 – Origin story (2013)
29:32 – Forced move
30:57 – New building → COVID
31:34 – Why Philip co-owner
35:39 – Division of labor
36:56 – Hiring funnel
37:27 – Firing lessons
43:49 – Competitors nearby
45:12 – Grow the pie
46:27 – DVI video tradeoffs
50:11 – Parts matrix wishlist
51:31 – ShopGenie & Kikui
52:49 – Online requests
54:07 – Phones & OctoRocket
55:52 – Digital Concierge option
56:12 – Fleet growth drivers
57:40 – Brian’s path
59:30 – Coaching & conferences
1:01:14 – Shop tours cadence
1:02:07 – Tribe accountability
1:06:23 – Local politics & permits
1:09:24 – Future panel topics
1:11:10 – Rides vs. loaners
1:11:49 – Wrap-up
Questions for Philip & Brian? Comment below or post in the FB group—they’ll jump in.
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Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/garagegrit
Join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/forautorepairshopowners/
Learn more: https://aashopmarketing.com
auto repair shop growth, auto repair business management, hiring technicians, technician shortage solutions, shop owner culture, DVI best practices, customer experience auto repair, service advisor training, fleet accounts strategy, parts matrix pricing, Mitchell shop management, online scheduler auto repair, ShopFix coaching, car count goals, ride-along diagnostics, small business hiring and firing, recruiting from high schools, Fargo Moorhead auto repair, North Dakota auto repair, auto repair marketing