Loretto Auto Body: High Quality Repairs with a Personal Touch
by Sofia EsHaq
Aaron Geffre was introduced to collision repair at a young age.
“My dad started me working in the garage,” he recalls. “We were always fixing hoods and stuff like that before I got to work on cars.” With a father and grandfather who both owned body shops, he knew early on that he wanted a shop of his own.
Today, as the owner of Loretto Auto Body, he’s the third generation in his family to do so.
It all started with a chance conversation four and a half years ago.
Geffre was working for someone else when he just happened to mention to a paint rep that he was ready to start something on his own. That rep happened to know about a local shop for sale; one of its original owners had run it for 43 years. Geffre, who grew up less than five miles away from the Loretto based shop, ended up buying it. “I’ve always wanted to own a shop because my family owns shops. It’s something I aspired to do, and I worked hard to get here,” he says.
Geffre didn’t face this new environment alone. When he first took over the shop, his father Terry, who was supposed to retire after devoting 30 years to his own shop, came to work with him for the first two years. “He came on, showed me how he ran his shop and gave me some insight that really helped out,” Geffre says. “I could ask him any question about what to do in any situation. It was really helpful.” Terry’s guiding principle stuck with his son. “My dad’s big thing was always customer service. He said if you take care of the customers, the business will always be there. I’ve always led with that and followed that rule, and it has worked out for me very well.”
That philosophy has been one of the primary driving forces of the shop’s growth. Loretto Auto Body has quadrupled its business since Geffre bought it four and a half years ago, going from three employees to six. And he’s done it without spending a dollar on advertising. “We don’t pay for any marketing,” he insists. “Word of mouth is how we’ve sold ourselves.” A Facebook post here and there is the extent of their marketing. Quality work brings customers back and it has also brought in steady relationships with the local police department. “How fast we were able to build those relationships and the trust, really kind of shocked me.”
The backbone of those relationships is built on personal touch. “It’s not just talking about their car. It’s asking how they are, what’s going on in their lives, asking about their family. I believe that goes a lot farther.” The same goes for how one answers the phone. With just two people in the front office, Geffre and his wife work side by side, and one of them always tries to pick up. “If we miss a call, we call the customer back within a couple of minutes. People don’t want to get an answering machine. They want to talk to a real person and help figure out the solution to their problem.”
The shop’s reputation is also built on quality, a lesson that Geffre took from his father’s shop. “We really do high-end work. We pride ourselves on our quality and we’ve built such a brand now that people come from all over to have work done with us just because they know what kind of quality comes along with it.” The goal is always the same: “Going above and beyond expectations and bringing the cars back to pre-loss condition.” The work is highly rewarding for Geffre and the satisfaction of taking a damaged vehicle and making it look like it was never damaged at all keeps him motivated. “That’s what keeps driving me in the industry. The passion for repairing cars and doing it properly, while studying new procedures and setting up with the technology trends.”
Doing things properly means keeping up with the fast-moving technology. All of Geffre’s technicians are I-CAR certified, and the shop makes sure to look at the repair procedure for every vehicle that comes through the door to make sure they follow manufacturer guidelines. For ADAS calibrations, the shop partners with a specialty company. Geffre says calibrations have been the industry’s biggest hurdle. “Every car has different options. This one could have forward radar, and this one doesn’t, or this one has blind spot monitors. You don’t know what options it has until you get into it,” which is why documenting every feature and checking manuals is essential.
He also believes that educating customers is part of the job. “A lot of people just don’t know what goes into collision repair. Explaining on the front end why the vehicle needs certain repairs, how many electronics there are, and why calibrations are needed goes a long way.” Framing those steps as safety features also helps. “As long as you tell them these are features that keep you safe, and we just have to make sure they’re operating properly after we repair the vehicle. Otherwise, they get blindsided on the back end.”
When asked what sets Loretto Auto Body apart from the rest, Geffre reflects on the scale of repairs they do while keeping things personal. “We’re doing high-end quality like larger shops, but here you get to talk to and get an estimate from the owner.” He always strives to make customers feel heard and seen.
Giving back matters to him as well. Geffre lives about 15 minutes from the shop, and the business donated time to the local fire department for a graphics switchover on their trucks. They also refurbished the Lions club drinking fountain and provide yearly donations for local events in town. “We try to give back to the community that’s provided for us, and keep our name out there so the community knows we’re not going anywhere. We’re here to give back just as much as they give to us by bringing their cars to us.”
Geffre joined AASPMN shortly after buying the shop, and has been a member for about four years. “I think it’s important for the industry. AASPMN does so many good things for our industry and you get to talk with other shop owners as well.” He also had a personal connection to the association having worked several years for Will Latuff (Latuff Brothers Auto Body; St. Paul), a longtime AASPMN figure. “I learned a lot from him as well.” As for the benefit of membership, Geffre says, “There are so many values to it, from the learning standpoint to talking with other business owners to the discounts you get from certain vendors. The amount of knowledge is endless, as long as you want to apply yourself and be part of it.”
Geffre doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. “I would like to grow the shop, size-wise, and maybe down the road, if the market allows it, add another location.”
To young technicians and aspiring shop owners, his advice is the same he used to build his own shop. “Continue to work hard and work towards your goals. Some days are going to be better than others, but at the end of the day, if you’re consistent and you work hard, you will be able to obtain your goals.”
Want more? Check out the November 2026 issue of AASP-MN News!