We are excited to feature Christian Brothers Automotive (CBA) as our business spotlight this month. AND, for all of CBA’s community involvement, we decided to give them a double feature this month as our Business Spotlight as well as our Good Works in the Community highlight. You’ll see why as you read below.
A Brief History of Auto Repair
The automotive repair business started in the early 1900’s with many gas stations doubling as repair shops for small repairs. Over the years, as the complexity of the automobile expanded, customer needs increased as well. As a result, the auto repair business began to thrive as its own industry.
How Christian Brothers Automotive Got Its Start
Christian Brothers Automotive was founded in 1982 by Mark Carr in Houston, TX and has grown quickly across the U.S. As an auto repair customer himself, Mark wanted his business to operate based on higher values with the client as the primary focus. To achieve this, he established a better standard of customer service with two basic principles: ensure the owner is on site to build community relationships and relate to the customer, and serve them in the way they would like to be treated. Importantly, these principles helped to build a special relationship with their customers by providing repair and maintenance services with transparency and integrity. As a result, people were put first.
Growth into a Nationwide Franchise
In 1996, CBA became a registered franchise with expansions in Houston, Austin, Dallas, and Ft. Worth, TX. From there, they continued to expand into Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, and Missouri, among others, and they currently have 250 locations nationwide. In addition, they were recently honored for being a top franchise!
New Leadership, Same Core Values
In October 2021, Donnie Carr, Mark’s son, was appointed as the new CEO. Importantly, they continue to operate the franchise with the same principles and four core values. These values are: Be Neighborly (commitment to others), Transparency (communicate honestly), Excellence (integrity), and Joy (have fun & look for an opportunity to grow).
Giving Back to the Community
Community involvement is also a big part of the company’s philosophy. For example, many franchisees commit to give back locally, nationally and/or internationally by partnering with non-profit organizations that give back to their community, such as Young Life, Dress for Success, Star of Hope, Refugee Rising, Feed the Hunger, among others. Moreover, they have been participating in the National Day of Service for over 15 years. In fact, a little birdie told us that a couple of their locations have even given cars to people in need. A truly special organization! For all these reasons, we are taking this moment to honor them and all of their good works.
Welcoming Our Newest CBA Partners
We are proud to partner with many auto repair shops nationwide. A special welcome also goes to our newest CBA partners in Acworth & Towne Lake, GA locations.
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