1851

Tony Schottenbauer does not consider himself a mechanic. Though the <a href="http://www.christianbrothersfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=tony-schottenbauer-how-a-service-oriented-veteran-found-a-like-minded-partner-in-christian-brothers-automotive-2704121" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Brothers Automotive</a> franchisee&rsquo;s location has repaired thousands of cars in the Phoenix area, Schottenbauer told 1851 that he sees his role in the industry as that of an educator. &nbsp;

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s my job to educate, not just to fix things, and certainly not to sell things,&rdquo; said Schottenbauer. &ldquo;If you give people the right information, the business will come. We tell people what&rsquo;s going on with their cars, let them know what their options and the potential costs are, and let them make their own decisions.&rdquo;

Schottenbauer is well-suited for the role of automotive educator. Before opening his <a href="https://christianbrothers.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=tony-schottenbauer-how-a-service-oriented-veteran-found-a-like-minded-partner-in-christian-brothers-automotive-2704121" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christian Brothers</a> store in Ocotillo, Arizona, Schottenbauer received a graduate degree in Technology Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a goal of bridging the communication gap between technicians and customers. He also has a BBA and an Associate&#39;s degree in Automotive Technology from Gateway Community College.

&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t even set out to work on cars,&rdquo; said Schottenbauer. &ldquo;I wanted to let people know how their cars worked. I saw this divide where mechanics have all the information, and customers don&rsquo;t even speak the same language. I saw an opportunity to help customers get on that same level so they could make their own decisions about their cars.&rdquo;

That commitment to service is nothing new for Schottenbauer, who grew up in a military family.

&ldquo;I was an army brat,&rdquo; Schottenbauer said. &ldquo;My father was in the military, and so we were always traveling. I&rsquo;ve been all around the world, and I&rsquo;ve met people from every background.&rdquo;

Schottenbauer joined the military himself after high-school but did not seek out a career there.

&ldquo;I was excited to serve, but I knew it wouldn&rsquo;t be my career,&rdquo; Schottenbauer explained. &ldquo;I had a knack for mechanics, so after I left the military, I got into manufacturing.&rdquo;

Schottenbauer worked for some of the biggest names in manufacturing, including Caterpillar and Tennant, starting in HR training and development before moving into operations and eventually becoming a process engineer. By the end of what Schottenbauer considers his &ldquo;first career,&rdquo; he was fluent in Six Sigma and lean manufacturing, two of the most critical high-level process philosophies in modern manufacturing.

Despite his success in manufacturing, Schottenbauer felt weighed down by what he saw as a split between his personal values and those of the industry.

&ldquo;I was forced sometimes to make certain decisions I didn&rsquo;t agree with,&rdquo; Schottenbauer said. &ldquo;There was a lot of gray decision making. I don&rsquo;t believe in gray areas. I believe in black and white. When you play around in gray areas, you start justifying things that aren&rsquo;t right.&rdquo;

Still, Schottenbauer was not ready to end his career, so he set his sights on franchise ownership as a way to escape the uncertainty of working for someone else.

&ldquo;I started searching for Christian franchises, something that had God at the center of it,&rdquo; said Schottenbauer. &ldquo;Christian Brothers quickly popped up, and I was intrigued right away.&rdquo;

In addition to Christian Brothers&rsquo; faith-based foundation, the franchise had been recommended by USAA, the veterans financial-services organization of which Schottenbauer was a member.

&ldquo;That impressed me,&rdquo; Schottenbauer said. &ldquo;It started to seem like a perfect fit. It was mechanics, it was Christian, and it was recommended by USAA.&rdquo;

Schottenbauer filled out an application and began discussing the opportunity with Christian Brothers&rsquo; development team, who he pegged as the real deal.

&ldquo;They walked the walk,&rdquo; Schottenbauer said. &ldquo;They didn&rsquo;t just have Christian in the name. It was clear that their operations were all based on Christian values.&rdquo;

So in 2015, Schottenbauer opened his Christian Brothers Automotive store in Ocotillo, where he quickly found a high demand for good automotive services.

&ldquo;People drive a lot around here,&rdquo; said Schottenbauer. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, and Chandler all within 25 square miles. People work in one city and live in another. There&rsquo;s not a lot of public transportation, so it&rsquo;s very difficult to get by without a car. And the heat can be rough on cars. You can live in other cities without air conditioning in your car, but it&rsquo;s essential here, and that can take a toll on cars.&rdquo;

That high demand for repair services coupled with Schottenbauer&rsquo;s and Christian Brothers&rsquo; uniquely transparent approach to servicing customers has earned the store a growing base of loyal customers.

&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t do much advertising,&rdquo; Schottenbauer explained. &ldquo;I rely on customers to tell people about us. I&rsquo;m in the relationship business as much as I&rsquo;m in the car business. I want to build strong relationships with all my customers. People are looking for what we have to offer, and I love serving people, so when we get a new customer, I really try to exceed their expectations.&rdquo;

After two years, Schottenbauer still sees Christian Brothers as the perfect partner for his career.

&ldquo;My only goal is to treat customers with respect,&rdquo; Schottenbauer said, &ldquo;and the Christian Brothers mission statement is to love your neighbor as yourself. So it&rsquo;s easy. It&rsquo;s like following the law. I work hard, but it comes naturally. It&rsquo;s just a matter of treating people right.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

Tony Schottenbauer: How a Service-Oriented Veteran Found a Like-Minded Partner in Christian Brothers Automotive

1851 Franchise

Christian Brothers Automotive's first Phoenix franchisee remains dedicated to service years after leaving military

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

tony-schottenbauer-how-a-service-oriented-veteran-found-a-like-minded-partner-in-christian-brothers-automotive

Children's Lighthouse

How Children’s Lighthouse Stands Out Among Other Children’s Education, Childcare, and Daycare Franchises

how-childrens-lighthouse-stands-out-among-other-childrens-education-childcare-and-daycare-franchises

The Growth Coach

The Growth Coach Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

the-growth-coach-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-for-2025

One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning

Why One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning Sees People as the Power Behind Franchise Growth

one-hour-heating-air-conditioning-franchise-growth

Lawn Doctor

Design with photo of John Perry and Lawn Doctor logo

How a 20-Year Industry Veteran Tripled His Sales With a Lawn Doctor Franchise

lawn-doctor-franchise-success-story-john-perry

Fitness Premier

The Secret to Fitness Franchise Success? It's Not Just the Workouts

fitness-premier-franchise-marketing-support

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Design with American and Federal Reserve flags against light blue background

Federal Reserve Expected To Cut Rates by Quarter Point, a Move That Could Boost Franchise Growth

fed-rate-cut-boosts-franchise-growth

Potbelly to be Acquired by RaceTrac in $566 Million Deal 

racetrac-acquires-potbelly-in-566-million-deal

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

Caribou Coffee Names Scott Kennedy CEO, Eyes Continued Growth

caribou-coffee-names-scott-kennedy-ceo-eyes-continued-growth

McDonald’s Launches New Extra Value Meals as Consumer Demand for Value Continues to Climb

mcdonalds-launches-extra-value-meals

DevHub - Meet the Supplier - 1851 Franchise

DevHub: Scalable Digital Marketing for Franchises and Multi-Location Brands

devhub-meet-the-supplier

Mike Revak - Chief Business Officer - Sky Zone - Franchise Marketing Leaders - 1851 Franchise

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Mike Revak — President and Chief Business Officer, Sky Zone

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-mike-revak-chief-business-officer-sky-zone

BooXkeeping: Making Bookkeeping Cool for Franchisors, Franchisees, and Small Business Owners

booxkeeping-making-bookkeeping-cool-for-franchisors-franchisees-and-small-business-owners

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Brittany Knollmiller — Head of Marketing, Yogurtland

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-brittany-knollmiller-head-of-marketing-yogurtland

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

1851 Keyword - The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

part-time-franchises-picking-the-right-model

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

Tony Schottenbauer: How a Service-Oriented Veteran Found a Like-Minded Partner in Christian Brothers Automotive

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS