Motor Age 2015 Top Shops Contest winner announced

Dec. 1, 2015
Haglin Automotive’s focus on training, education and shop excellence have earned it the title of the 2015 Motor Age Top Shop.

Haglin Automotive’s focus on training, education and shop excellence have earned it the title of the 2015 Motor Age Top Shop.

Located in Boulder, Colo., the 12-bay shop will celebrate 35 years in business in 2016. Owners Dana and Judi Haglin encourage continued employee learning, giving back to the community and regular shop marketing through social media and association and industry event involvement.

The annual Motor Age Top Shops Contest is way for the magazine to recognize outstanding shops in the industry. The contest was revamped in 2015 to honor one Top Shop and highlight the strengths of other selected entrants. In the past a winner and nine runner-up shops have been selected.

Haglin Automotive will be highlighted in the December 2015 print issue of Motor Age, which will also include multiple articles on shop best practices. These articles will feature the stories of other selected contest entrants. Read the full profile about Haglin Automotive by clicking here.

Haglin’s commitment to education and preserving its business longterm helped it stand out from other entrants.  “We have a millennial work force; we are excited to go to work and teach and everyone is ready to learn every day. If you ask any one of our employees, ‘What kind of business do Dana and Judi run?’ They would all say that we are a learning facility, and we fix cars,” Judi Haglin says. “We have found that our millennials are young, eager to learn and are great team members. Everyone helps each other when needed and they have all grown up using technology. They teach each other how to utilize their tablets, do electronic inspections and use the many other online resources that are available to them in their bays.”

Haglin also has a strong focus on its marketing initiatives, and has adopted the Disney philosophy, “Everything speaks.” “We have a front and back stage and work on making sure every customer has a great experience,” Judi Haglin says.

“The two biggest tools we utilize are our website and Google+. We average 7-10 new customers a week from organic listings, pay per click and our reviews on Google+.,” she says. “We have found that the tipping point in marketing has been our reviews on Google+. When we reached more than 80 reviews, we started generating 5+ new customers a week. Online reviews are online referrals; people trust what other people talk about.”

Haglin Automotive is very active in its community and in the industry, serving as a member of local organizations including the Boulder County Local Tech-Net Council and BNI Boulder Business Builders — Boulder Chapter, along with industry affiliations including Automotive Service Association, ASE, iATN, Automotive Management Institute, Automotive Training Institute (ATI) and ATI 20 for the Money and Leading ladies 20 groups.

Community involvement is another pillar of Haglin’s business model. The shop hosted is second Family Service Day event, in partnership with SafeHouse Alliance and Circle of Boulder County, for underprivileged community members in November, performing inspections oil changes and safety-related repairs for those who need their vehicle to be reliable, but may be lacking the resources.

Haglin has also worked on school supply drives for the Battered Women’s Shelter, donated funds to Christopher’s Clubhouse, an organization that aims to educate to prevent families from becoming the victims of predatory crimes, and sponsored high school students to attend the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Program.

Pets are also a priority, showcased by Haglin’s “It’s Too Dog Gone Hot” promotion that provides thermometers for customers to put in their vehicles so they can see what temperatures are safe for their pets. Dana Haglin has also participates in Pilots and Paws. In partnership with Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue, Haglin has flown more than 100 dogs in his Cessna 210 airplane, saving them from kill shelters.

“Haglin Automotive has been an honoree in the top 10 in multiple Motor Age Top Shops contests, and they just continue to move in an upward trajectory of improvement, growth and excellence,” said Krista McNamara, content channel director with Motor Age. “They are an amazing example of a successful, progressive and impassioned shop that always aims to do right by its employees and customers. They set a great example in the industry and are so deserving of recognition for their strengths and innovation.”  

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