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 LinkedIn
• Ulmer’s Auto Care Center Website
• Tread Partners
• Gain Traction Podcast on YouTube
• Gain Traction Podcast Website
• Mike Edge on LinkedIn

Quotable 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:

1. 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.
2. Give advisors customer-recovery authority. Write down the default: take care of the customer. Treat later reviews as coaching conversations rather than approval checkpoints.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.