Troy Auto Care in Michigan named top repair shop in the U.S.

A customer at Troy Auto Care in suburban Detroit was scheduled for open heart surgery, so one of the repair shop owners, Kristi Hudson, picked up a get-well card for the staff to sign. Hudson also recently checked on a customer after not having seen him for a while.

To Hudson, 42, it's all part of taking care of her customers. She said she makes it a point to hire employees who are empathetic and can build positive relationships with customers.

"We can teach you about the car. But I can't teach someone to care," she said. "We make everyone feel like they are special because they are."

This level of customer service is why the independent repair facility 25 miles north of Detroit — one of three under the Troy Auto Care umbrella — was named NAPA Auto Care Center of the Year for 2022. At about the same time, Hudson, her husband, Donnie, and brother-in-law Frank Hudson were named AAPEX Shop Owner of the Year. And to complete the triple crown, that same year Kristi Hudson was named Female Shop Owner of the Year by Women in Auto Care.

Donnie Hudson said his father taught his children two business philosophies that he, his wife and brother live by every day.

"If you take care of your customers, your customers always take care of you," he said. "And if you take care of your employees, your employees will take care of you."

Donald Hudson opened an auto repair center in 1958 — a Shell gas station he ran until 1997, when he died from a heart attack at age 62. His sons sold it that same year and in 1998 purchased their own standalone NAPA repair center called Troy Auto Care. They opened Troy Auto Care II in December 2018 and Troy Auto & Truck Center in June 2021. Among the three stores, there are 30 tow trucks and 120 employees. They respond to roughly 90,000 AAA calls a year.

Frank Hudson, 65, started working with his father when he was 15. A year later, his younger brother was eager to spend time with his father and sibling, so he was put to work at age 5, pulling weeds and painting the curbs around the gas pumps. As Donnie grew older, he considered moving away from automotive repair to pursue law enforcement and firefighting.

"I wanted to give back to the community and help people," he said.

When his father died, Donnie needed to decide whether to continue in the business or leave his brother to go it alone. He ultimately realized that he could satisfy his goal by staying put.

"In the service industry, we are helping people. We're making sure their cars are safe," Donnie, 53, said.

He stayed on but also managed to pursue being a firefighter, a job he's held since 1994. Now a district fire chief in Troy, he juggles his responsibilities at the stores with responding to fires and accident calls.

Kristi Hudson, who was previously a firefighter and paramedic, met her husband at a training in 2007. She was in a room with more than 50 men and sat behind him. One day, participants needed to partner up for a drill, which required each person to dress and undress each other in a hazmat suit. She asked her future husband to be her partner; he said no.

"I was nervous," said Donnie Hudson, who brought coffee and jellybeans to the next class to make up for it. The two married in 2013.

Kristi Hudson started working at the shop in 2009 on her days off, starting with dispatching tow trucks and handling billing. Soon, the emotional and physical demands working on an ambulance "were taking a toll on me," she said. She injured her shoulder the same year, which ended her firefighting career. She continued working as a paramedic after the injury and left that career in 2011, the year she got ASE certified as a service consultant. She transitioned to working full time on the repair side, bringing her back to the field she originally wanted to pursue.

While it may sound cliche, Troy Auto Care promotes a family-like culture at its shops. They also hire people committed to good customer service.

"It's not just to do a job and go home," Kristi said. They have a passion, and they feel so strongly about the company that they want to see it succeed."

Her husband added the recent accolades would not have been possible without a team effort by all the employees.

Perks such as unlimited sick leave and vacation time help to foster a positive culture. They also give core employees shares in the company to ensure they are invested in its success. And they provide free continuing education for all staff, including covering the costs of a two-year accredited NAPA training program.

Another reason for their success is the harmonious family relationship among the two brothers and Kristi Hudson.

"We accomplish everything together," Frank Hudson said. "We work as a team."

Kristi Hudson said she had no idea how to run a business and learned so much from her husband and brother-in-law. She said their division of labor has proven particularly effective.

Her brother-in-law is the business mind and handles bills but also enjoys "rolling up his sleeves" and working with the young technicians. Her husband's forte is marketing and promotions, while she is focused on "our up-and-coming future."

She oversees their apprenticeship program, works with the front office staff and determines areas that need improvement — working with her husband and brother-in-law to figure out how best to do that.

"Everyone's got their strong suit for what they're good at, and we help carry each other," she said.

Running the business together was more challenging when they only had one shop. Kristi Hudson and her husband "were together 24 hours a day," she said. But she admits when she and Donnie started to run different stores, she missed seeing him for lunch.

"A lot of people were like, 'I don't know how you can do it.' And I actually was sad when we were first apart," she said. "I wanted to go over there all the time."

Frank Hudson plans to retire in 2024, leaving the others to run the business without him, though he is expected to occasionally help out "and tinker in the shop," his younger brother said.

But there are others to fill his shoes; the next generation is already involved in the business.

Donnie Hudson's son, Dylan, 20, works as a service adviser at Troy Auto & Truck Center. His other son, Donnie Jr., 25, is a towing department manager for Troy Auto Transport. Frank Hudson's son Chris, 38, mainly works for Troy Auto Transport, the roadside and towing division of the business, and also assists in the office for all of the shops when needed.

Donnie Hudson said he wishes his father was around to see all that he, his wife and brother have accomplished since their father opened his first shop.

"We think about that all the time," he said.

Frank added that he knows that, amid all the accolades, "Our dad would be proud of us. I know he's with us," he said. "I wish he were here."