Building a Family-Like Culture in Auto Repair Shops: The InTown Auto Care Approach
In 11 years as an automotive technician at several businesses, John Ausmus always had supervisors who—unsurprisingly—pushed him to learn as much as possible about diagnosing and repairing cars.
But none had also encouraged him to pursue hobbies and interests that had nothing to do with his career—like golf—until now.
Ausmus began playing about a year ago as a way to bond with his father. Shortly after he joined InTown Auto Care in Moorestown, New Jersey, in spring 2025, Owner Mike Dunn offered to pay for him to take a few golf lessons.
“This is something very new to me,” Ausmus says. “It’s unheard of, really. Having someone who appreciates you not only on a professional level, but away from the shop speaks volumes. It just makes me feel appreciated.”
To Dunn, whose small company specializes in European cars, such gestures are not only acts of kindness, but smart business decisions. Team members who feel supported in all parts of their lives, he believes, are less likely to leave and more motivated to work hard every day.
“No one wants to feel like they’re just a cog in a wheel,” he notes. “You want to feel like somebody. Like you have a personality, a life. Helping people feel valued will naturally create a better atmosphere inside the shop, I think.”
Connecting on a Deeper Level
Members of InTown Auto Care’s 10-person staff have very diverse interests, ranging from skydiving and lottery games to gardening and cooking. They have shared those in individual conversations with Dunn and at weekly Friday pizza lunches.
Kevin Schmidt, a technician and father of two, is pondering parachuting from a plane after years of dirt biking adventures. While Dunn is mystified by that wish, he has volunteered to foot the bill—likely $220 to $250—if Schmidt opts to take the leap at a nearby skydiving business.
As for Devon Jenkins, another technician, his planting and culinary expertise has led to frequent conversations with Dunn’s wife, Suzanne, who is head of human resources at InTown Auto Care and raises backyard chickens.
Recently, Jenkins taught her that some hardy produce, including carrots, radishes, garlic, and kale, could grow during winter months. He also shared tips on cooking the typically discarded leaves of carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower and—following childhood years spent in Jamaica—holistic remedies, such as fresh ginger for digestive issues.
“We can talk for a long time; sometimes we’re like, ‘Uh oh, we’ve got to get back to work’!” Suzanne Dunn says with a laugh. “You spend a lot of hours with people you work with, so to me it’s good for everyone to be comfortable and like part of a family.”
Another frequent pastime for Jenkins, a married father of five, is playing the lottery. So, on his one-year anniversary at the shop, the Dunns gifted him 25 lottery tickets.
“You’d have thought we gave him a new car,” Mike Dunn recalls. “He was like, ‘I can’t believe you guys did this for me.’ I told him, ‘Well, if you win big, please just give us at least two weeks’ notice before you leave’.” (Jenkins didn’t hit a major jackpot, but Dunn recalls he scored at least one $20 to $30 prize).
Adam Mendelewski, a technician originally from Poland, has become a devoted fan of the Philadelphia Eagles since arriving in the United States. Mendelewski also likes to sample different types of beer when he’s off the clock.
“We’ve gotten Adam four to six craft brews for his work anniversaries, plus Eagles’ sweatshirts, hats, jackets,” Dunn says. “He’s a pretty quiet guy, but if you take the time to get to know him, he’ll definitely open up.”
Ausmus, for one, thinks it does: “It’s comforting that they actually care about me. They don’t look at me like some kind of robot. It makes me want to work harder to make the business better and also to make myself better.”
Doing What You Love
Originally from Philadelphia himself, Dunn has lived in New Jersey since age 8. His father, a steamfitter, was a part-time drag racer and enjoyed tinkering with cars; he steered Dunn away from his own trade by predicting a downturn.
Dunn bounced from job to job before enrolling at Pennco Tech for Automotive Technology. He gained experience at car dealerships and specialty shops while running a side business buying and reselling four-wheel drive truck parts from a wholesaler.
In 1989, Dunn took over an auto shop called Motorsports Tire & Auto with Suzanne, his then-girlfriend and wife since 1991, who has a background in business management, administration, and analytical sales. She also has an uncle who owned two gas stations.
While in his mid-20s, Dunn struggled with a steep learning curve on both the business and technical side of his first shop, which he ran for about six years. He later moved into automotive consulting and construction equipment.
In 2012, however, Dunn felt the urge to own another repair shop in Moorestown. “It’s what I do; it’s what I love,” he says. “Interacting with the customers is what drives me. I consider myself to be in the customer service business, where I just happen to fix cars.”
While InTown Auto Care accepts all vehicle makes and models, the shop has carved out a niche with comprehensive services for European cars, especially German models, as well as exotics, such as Ferrari and Lamborghini.
“We’ve had to invest heavily in advanced software and our people, technology, and tools,” Dunn says. “We want to be able to do everything we can in our building without having to send customers anywhere else. That’s so important today in this industry.”
Other incentives include a 4-year, 40,000-mile warranty on parts and labor; digital inspections that send recommendations to customers’ cell phones or computers; a courtesy shuttle and loaner cars and bicycles. The shop also sells a limited number of pre-owned vehicles.
The Dunns have three grown children. The younger of their two daughters, Breana, is now Office Manager for InTown Auto Care and is training to take over the business down the road. Her daughter Emma, 7, has become a shop fixture, too.
“Emma already wants to answer the phones,” Suzanne Dunn says. “She walks around saying, ‘InTown Auto Care, how may I help you?’ She’s not quite ready, but we love having her; we welcome kids and animals. It’s a good, warm environment.”
Happy Employees = Productive People
Staff biographies on the business’ online site combine each employee’s automotive expertise and training with personal life details. Take Mendelewski: He attended Lincoln Technical Institute, is a Master Certified Technician with an original background in Acura models, has two children with his Polish-born wife, Ewelina, and loves soccer and ski jumping.
Discovering that Ausmus was entering the fun-but-frustrating world of golf was ideal for Dunn, an experienced golfer himself. He has passed along a few coaching tips and follows up to see if Ausmus is practicing.
“I want to see passion in their faces when they talk about what they’re doing,” Dunn explains. “Why? Because that’s the same energy I want in the shop. If you’re happy, in a good frame of mind in life, that’s got to translate into the workday, right?”