C&C Automotive named Top Shop by Motor Age magazine

Group Editorial Director Larry Silvey (left) with Aaron Clements and Group Publisher Terri McMenamin.

Clements took the cash equivalent of an expenses paid trip for two to Las Vegas. He will be featured as the cover story in the December issue of Motor Age magazine.

With seven ASE certified techs, C&C became the first local AAA-approved shop, along with one of only a few local Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Blue Seal shops. 

Clements, whose shop has garnered many local and national accolades, modestly attributes his success to his team.

“One of the many items that makes this award so special is that it honors our entire team,” he says. What makes his shop stand out, he adds, “is the people that make up our team. Each one of them has areas that they truly excel in. But working as a team, they all excel in many areas. Our team also has one main item in common. We truly care about our customers and think of them as friends and, in some cases, family members.”

In fact, at the time of the interview, Clements was just checking on a customer who was in the hospital.

Clements also recognizes other repair shops as being influential in his accomplishments.

“There are many ‘Top Shops’ out there, and we were very fortunate to be recognized,” he adds. “The reason I know they are out there is because many of these shop leaders are my friends and have had a very positive influence on my business and personal life.”

He says one of the biggest obstacles of starting a repair shop was not having the managerial knowledge and training he needed. This was overcome after he joined the Automotive Service Association (ASA), which gave him the proper training and networking to achieve the success he’s experienced.

Clements also recently stepped down as ASA Chairman.

C&C Automotive has a 90-percent ASE certified staff, 50 percent of whom are Master certified, which is an exemplary model of how successful our industry’s independent repair shops can be.

Training and alignment with the pre-eminent repair shop association are integral elements to achieving this award, he adds. “ASA is one of the most important steps that an automotive repair facility can take to improving their shop and the industry.” He has turned to ASA for 30 years for training, equipment information, and most importantly, personal relationships.

Add Clements: “The next item is training. I strongly recommend training similar to that you receive at events such as ASRW (Automotive Service and Repair Week). You cannot beat good live training. This live training should be supplemented with local and regional live training, trade magazines such as Motor Age and Webinars. We now have a dedicated room with DLP, screen and phone system for Webinars. It is a great way to supplement training.”

For customer retention, C&C uses video cameras around the shop so drivers can view the work being performed on their vehicles. The company also hands out CDs to customers containing photos of major repairs.

A big screen television with AutoNet TV also helps educate and entertain customers, according to Clements, who is himself is an ASE certified Master Tech and a member of the Augusta Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau, as well as serving on the advisory board of the Augusta Technical College.

Reaching out to community is a crucial aspect of C&C’s operations, says Clements. “We have a Car Care Day in the spring time which includes an Antique Car Show, Blood Donation Bus, Seat Belt Safety Van, Vendor Booths, a large kids’ jumping balloon, food fun and prizes. We normally go through several hundred hamburgers and hotdogs at each event.”

This Car Care Day is one of many examples of community outreach that helps Clements’ shop check the pulse of the area in which his business thrives. 

And the business still focuses on family, an extension that Clements says goes out to all team members. His father and mother still occasionally work with the company, along with his sister, daughter and niece.

Clements mentions one more lesson imparted by his father: “Don’t be afraid to invest money in your business. It is what makes life exciting. Do the research, call your friends, do the math. But when that is done and you feel good about it, Go For It.

He adds: “I see many people invest their life savings in a company that they have very little or no control over. Why not invest in your own company? At least you are able to look at the person in the mirror each morning that has control of your money.”

Clements’ contributions to this industry go beyond fixing cars, however. He has established himself as a speaker and an advocate for vehicle maintenance. He hosts a Saturday morning talk show each week from 8 to 9 a.m. on WGAC/580 NewsTalk Radio in Augusta, and 93.1 WGAC-FM Warrenton, Ga. His show can be accessed online at www.wgac.com.

Some of his accolades have included the Carl J. Montgomery Memorial Award for professionalism and dedication in the auto repair industry, along with being named the NAPA/ASE Technician of the Year finalist from the Atlanta region each year from 1995 to 2005.