Filling Your Cup: Blending Business and Community
by Alana Quartuccio
So much goes into running a successful automotive business.
Business owners put their blood, sweat and tears into building it up. They invest countless hours into training and researching repair procedures. Then, of course, there is the monetary investment into equipment and facility upgrades to ensure they deliver no less than quality service to customers.
Hard work and determination naturally pay off in beneficial ways, but many shop owners are finding bigger rewards from a different kind of investment: Giving back to the community through partnerships with neighboring organizations. Not only is this kind of community involvement effective marketing, but paying it forward is simply just good business.
“We’re extremely happy to give back,” shares Ken Lehman (Honest-1 Auto Care; Minneapolis). “It’s important for the community and the businesses within to partner and work together to help those who are struggling.”
Lehman’s been combining community outreach and business growth for years with much success. Not only has it benefited the companies he has worked for, it is always a valuable experience. Ultimately, he believes it’s about having one’s heart in the right place and just simply doing the right thing.
He was inspired to get involved with community work while working as a senior district manager for Midas. “The market was kind of in shambles at the time, and I needed to be creative and figure out how to earn the trust of the community.” Lehman found several commercials he produced to be effective in driving business to the company, but he wanted to do much more.
“We partnered with the Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee doing promotions where we’d present a free oil change certificate to anyone who donated a turkey during Thanksgiving season,” he recalls. “We also participated in their food sorting and it was an incredible experience. We put a team together and we sorted 23,000 pounds of food! We also partnered with Wisconsin Blood to conduct blood drives every quarter. If people donated blood, we’d give them a free oil change.”
All of that community support quickly started paying dividends, not only for Lehman’s neighbors, but to the business as well.. “All of a sudden, things started really coming alive with the stores and they grew,” he relays. “The teams were doing an excellent job and customers trusted us as we were doing the right thing by giving back.”
Lehman has brought this mindset to every company he’s worked for since. While working for Jiffy Lube, he helped residents of Lynchburg, VA, an area that has a 25 percent poverty rate, with the same model. “It was incredible; the community responded to what we were doing and they loved it. It was a positive experience not only for the community but for our teams and the stores involved.”
And since returning to the Midwest (where he runs two Honest-1 stores), Lehman has taken this outreach even further, after suggesting to Honest-1 ownership that they look to align with the culture of the local community with his particular brand of engagement.
For the past few years, Honest-1 has partnered with O’Reilly Auto Parts to raise funds for the Susan B. Komen breast cancer foundation. “We raised $3,000 the first year, and it’s been growing more and more since.”
They also partner with Keystone Community Services’ food shelves via food drives. “They also have other programs for people who live in the county where our stores are located,” Lehman notes. “It makes sense to partner with them.” Honest-1 sends out coupons in support of the local food shelf, advertising a 50-percent oil change discount to customers who bring in seven perishable items to donate. “I usually collect perishable goods from the stores every other week, fill the vehicle and bring it over to Keystone.”
Mike McLynn (Automotive Electric; Grand Rapids) also believes in the worthiness of being involved in the community. “I’ve received great feedback from customers who reach out to tell us they come to us not just for the quality work, but because they appreciate what we do for them.”
McLynn and his family take part in various activities in the Grand Rapids area, and also find ways to give back through the business. His youngest son and his wife used to participate in local dirt track racing where Automotive Electric would sponsor cars. These days, he finds a lot of value in sponsoring the kids’ sports teams. “They’ll put our name on the jersey, but I don’t think having our name on it is a big deal. It’s the recognition of having them know we support them.”
McLynn also lends a helping hand down at Mount Itasca Winter Sports Center, a small ski slope frequented by locals. He volunteers to drive the groomer track machine and also helps support the equipment. “I enjoy driving the big machine. We repair the equipment at no charge. I am also involved in helping to fund a building project to store the machine.”
“It fills your cup,” relays Ashlan Kaplan (Cannon Auto Repair; Cannon Falls). “Being present in the community goes far, especially in a small town. Sometimes people tend to forget that there are people in their area who could use assistance so giving back to your local community goes a long way.”
Kaplan hosts multiple events each year at her automotive repair shop to benefit the neighborhood. Not only does this prove to be natural word-of-mouth marketing, but it supports the whole community as other businesses also get involved. One of her biggest events is the annual chill-fest she hosts every winter.
“Multiple businesses make the chili and the community members bring in items to donate in order to taste the chili. They can bring in items for the food shelf or Toys for Tots, and this year we added a coat drive. They can vote for the best chili and the business who wins gets a travelling trophy and a $100 prize, so we really make it fun. Proceeds go back to the community and that’s especially important during the holiday season.”
The shop also hosts a car show each spring and every summer, Cannon Auto Repair conducts their free customer appreciation event geared toward the whole family with food, face painting, and even a bouncy house. “I keep it very family-friendly and there is no cost to anyone. People can bring in food shelf donations to support the local community.” To make things even more fun and interesting for those in attendance, the shop raffles off items from 20-plus local businesses. “Everyone gets two tickets and they can pick the two favorite items they want to try to win.”
Events and outreach like this not only support the businesses and bring people to their door, but according to Kaplan, the most gratification comes from helping others.
Making a difference in someone’s life has lasting effects. Kaplan recalls a time when her shop fixed up a vehicle donated by a customer whose husband had passed away to be gifted to another customer who had a history of bad luck with his vehicle. “It was probably one of the most emotional things I’ve done here. He still drives it to this day and gets it serviced here. It really made a big difference in his life.”
McLynn believes that having success in the business is truly a gift from God. “I’m very grateful and there is due diligence with what I do with it,” he says. “It’s not about spending $100 to get six customers out of it. It’s about the people in the community who support me and how I can support them back.”
“We’ve had Google reviews from customers who highlight our support of the Keystone food shelf and that they are happy to donate canned goods to the community,” adds Lehman. “We have a real problem in this world right now where people struggle with food costs. This works out well and we are happy to give back.
“It’s important for businesses and communities to partner and work together to help those within who are struggling,” he concludes. “It’s imperative. It’s always about doing the right thing.”
Want more? Check out the July 2026 issue of AASP-MN News!