Celebrating Great Shop Bosses for National Boss’s Day

Great shop bosses at AZ Euros

CEO Chad Day and COO Christian Ladrade started in 2013, specializing in European vehicles. They, along with Service Manager Austin Phipps, make time for staff to bond beyond working on cars.

For starters, they:

• Bring in breakfast every Monday
• Deliver lunch every Wednesday
• Go to car-themed movies, such as Ford v Ferrari
• Treated five employees to training at SEMA last year
• Take staff go-karting once a year with their spouses

“We have the right equipment, the right skill set and the right guys,” Austin says. “I have nothing but good things to say.”

Since opening, the shop has more than doubled its staff of seven to 16, including seven techs, two service advisors, a parts advisor, and a media director. Each staff member has a fun biography posted on the AZ Euros’ Team page.

The team welcomes groups into its shop during special events on weekends for:

• car club meetings
• careers days
• Tech Days to show how aftermarket shops keep cars on the road longer
• Popular Dyno Days for car owners who want to measure the torque and calculate the horsepower of their motors

The Dyno Days also highlights sponsors and car-themed vendors and artists.

The shop also marks a stop on the Let’s Cruise for BFF! Route and a dropoff spot for the Bridging Forever Families pet foster program.

“We have a beautiful shop so I like opening it up to the public,” Austin says. “It’s like how Shop-Ware is open to show you what’s wrong with your car. That transparency goes a long way with customers.”

Great shop bosses at CoAuto

Vincent Lucido leads by example when encouraging his team to have fun at CoAuto in Reno. From his wacky casual Fridays costumes (Hello, Elvis!) to fun-loving videos, he sets a tone of teamwork in the shop. That includes team-building exercises during weekly meetings.

You can see countless smiles and candid moments on the business’s Facebook and Instagram pages. For example, staff cool each other off by having Spyra One squirt gun battles during their breaks.

They also share a range of projects to bring new people into the shop:

• Women, Wheels, Whiskey and Wine open houses
• Kids, Cars and Chocolate events for new drivers
• A high school internship program so students can shadow their technicians to see if auto repair could be a future career
• Community Education Program classes and workshops to empower customers to feel more confident about repair decisions
• Local art displays in their customer waiting area, showcasing local talent

Customers can sense the camaraderie when they walk in the door, especially when Vinnie dresses for the occasion.

They may also face the friendly greetings of Oden and Aden, Golden Retrievers that belong to master technician Brent Smelser. Their wagging tails enliven the days of the full team.

“These pups bring love and joy to our daily routine,” Vinnie says. “Customers enjoy their visit to our facility because we create a warm and inviting atmosphere.”

Award-winning ways

The award also factored in the quality of automotive facilities, the shop’s repair standards and its staff’s skills. In particular, it recognized:

CoAuto has earned more than loyalty for its creative interactions with their clientele. Its staff won the Vision Award for an outstanding independent car repair business’ community involvement.

• Its annual Car Giveaway Program to a local veteran who needs a restored set of wheels, chosen by the Veterans Resource Center of Nevada
• The Reverse Your Carbon Footprint Program in which CoAuto plants one tree with every oil change in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation

Great shop boss at 5th Gear Automotive

Sweet treats brighten up any workday. That’s exactly why Eric Gibson rented a Kona ice cream truck for his team at 5th Gear Auto on a Friday. Staff and customers enjoyed free Kona ices! A group of 10 also cheered on the Colorado Rapids at a major league soccer game.