Auto maintenance goes far beyond the mechanical
The business philosophy at Louetta Automotive is that maintaining cars requires well-maintained workers. That thinking landed the growing auto repair partnership in fifth place among Houston-area small companies on the Top Workplaces list. “The mantra is take really good care of the employees and they take really good care of the customers,” said Phil Tringali, director of operations for Louetta Automotive. The company has 10 locations, seven clustered in northwest Harris County, with a total workforce of 77. Another store is under construction, and groundbreaking on another site was in the planning stages in late August. It’s grown quickly since its 1999 founding, especially in the last eight years. Growth, however, won’t be determined by how quickly Louetta can build locations, but how quickly it can hire the right people. It’s also what company leaders said helps them keep a positive workplace culture. “Who they are as a person matters more than anything,” Tringali said of current and future employees. “We’re looking for good character people. We have passed on good people who had the skill set but not the character.” Once people are hired at Louetta, they also tend to stick around. Glenn Piccolo and Kevin Bratton, the company’s two area directors with five locations each, were store managers before being elevated. Many of their managers started as service advisers. “I think the biggest thing about working here is the opportunity to reach goals, whatever those goals are at the company or in life,” Piccolo said, adding that workers “see there is a growth potential here.” All workers and family have a chance to attend company-sponsored training — not on the latest repair techniques, but lifestyle skills such as leadership and interpersonal skills. If there’s room for improvement in the workplace culture, Tringali said, it is luring more workers to the sessions. Employees at all levels are also active in organizing and participating in the company’s charitable efforts. “I think everyone from the top down feels that family atmosphere,” Bratton said.