Todd Ainsworth: A Star in Washington’s Independent Repair Scene
Todd Ainsworth never had it in the cards to run his own business. With a pure love for the game, he found fulfillment as a technician for over two decades, until he physically couldn’t do the same jobs anymore. But he wasn’t going anywhere. In fact, it was the beginning of an even bigger chapter.
Together with a fellow technician, the two transitioned from techs to shop owners. Was it easy? Of course not. But it was made possible by a humble attitude and an appetite for learning from others in the industry.
As not just an accomplished business owner, but an active educator and advocate for careers in auto repair, Ainsworth’s drive and ethic earned him Ratchet+Wrench All-Star Runner-Up status this year.
A Love for the Game
Being the son of an auto parts store owner, Ainsworth got an early start in automotive. He performed his first repair job at 10 years old, when he changed the spark plugs on a Ford Pinto.
Once he became a driver himself at 16, his main motivation to work on cars became pretty simple: he wanted to go fast. Underneath that, though, the skills he was building from working on his car as a teenager would serve him for life.
“I just always loved cars and everything mechanical; I like to find out how things work,” says Ainsworth.
Throughout high school, he would work at a gas station. Then, right after graduating, he went to work for a repair shop. Ainsworth spent 25 years working as a professional technician, and it was something he loved. He wouldn’t have traded it for the world—but life had other plans for him.
After Ainsworth underwent two shoulder surgeries, he realized he wasn’t able to take on the same challenges as before. Until then, he hadn’t considered shop ownership, but having garnered over two decades of experience and having a passion for the industry, he saw a clear path for himself at this point in his career.
Learning to … Learn
Together with a business partner, Ainsworth opened his first shop in 2010, in one of their previous employer’s former locations. He quickly saw that it came with a whole new set of challenges from what he was used to.
“I didn't go to school for business or anything, so there was a lot to learn. And the learning curve is steep,” says Ainsworth.
He was new to running a shop himself—but he’s glad he didn’t jump straight into trying to run a business while he was young and figuring himself out.
“I don't think I would have been mature enough to achieve the success that I have now. Because your emotions change over time, and you need to have a stable emotional base to be able to handle the difficulties that come up on a potentially daily basis,” explains Ainsworth.
In his new role, Ainsworth sought out as much insight and advice as he could from others who had owned shops longer. For him, this was accomplished through joining the Northwest Auto Care Alliance. It provided a place for him to connect with many other shop owners, to find mentors, and to access training resources.
He now continues that positive cycle, serving as the treasurer of NWACA’s executive board, and having worked with other members to develop Washington’s first state-approved automotive technician apprenticeship program for independent repair shops. Ainsworth serves as president of the program, which is called the Independent Technicians Automotive Committee, or iTAC.
“There’s a lot of help available. We don't want new shop owners to struggle,” says Ainsworth. “The help is out there, if you want to get it. There's a lot to learn—and I realized that, and I learned a lot. It could have been a lot worse if I didn’t have that kind of help.”
After opening his first shop, it gradually grew into more of a success. It caught the attention of Dave Winters, who at the time owned Swedish Automotive and was looking for someone to take over the shop.
“Dave had wanted to chart his retirement and succession plan,” tells Ainsworth. “Once he found out how quickly we were becoming successful with our new shop, he asked us to become the owners of Swedish Automotive.”
Enter: Swedish Automotive
Winters opened Swedish Automotive in 1984, and it has been steadily growing ever since. While Ainsworth was opening his first shop in 2010, he had just completed construction on a new building—the same one it operates in today. It’s equipped with 10 working bays, an alignment bay, and a car wash bay.
When Winters proposed to Ainsworth and his business partner that they take over Swedish Automotive, they went full speed ahead. Ainsworth sold his interest in the first shop to one of the technicians there and went on to take over Swedish Automotive in 2018. Before long, it would be just him operating it, as his business partner decided to continue running their first shop alongside their former technician.
In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic taking effect not long after taking over the shop, Ainsworth soon realized that the existing staff didn’t share his vision for where he saw the shop going, promoting some turnover.
While it was one of the biggest hurdles for Ainsworth in taking over Swedish Automotive, it was worth it to ensure a thriving shop culture, where both his customers and team members are taken care of.
“I know that we're doing our part to make sure that the cars are safe, and that we're trying to provide the best experience that we can for them. And at the same time, I’m making sure that all my techs have every opportunity to do all the training they need, that they are enjoying their careers, and that they're going to be fulfilled and carry on into the future,” says Ainsworth.