Carrollton auto repair shop fueled by faith

The typical image of the inside of an auto repair shop is loud, dirty and dingy. The thought of auto repair sometimes also includes questionable business practices and mechanics pushing unnecessary repairs on unsuspecting customers.

Norman and Cindi Glass say neither of those stereotypes is true at Christian Brothers Automotive.

The new 5,000 square-foot Christian Brothers Automotive facility in Carrollton has nine service bays as well as an upscale home-charm décor lobby area that features decorative lighting, artwork and hardwood floors. The company was founded in 1982 by CEO and President Mark Carr on the basic principle that honesty and integrity should be the driving force behind the business.

“As Christians we have to live to that standard, but that doesn’t mean we’re the only honest people,” Norman Glass said. “We tell the technicians not to fix stuff that’s not broken. We think there’s a good comfort level in people being able to trust us.”

“We don’t pressure or tell people their wheels are going to fall off,” said Cindi Glass, Norman’s wife of seven years.

The couple recently opened their second Carrollton location at 4121 SH 121, at the corner of Hebron Parkway. They’ve owned the location at Midway and the George Bush Turnpike since 2003. The Glass’s are one of the company’s few dual-owners.

“When we first opened on Midway, the business model was one store, one owner. There’s a comfort level for the customer to be able to talk to the owner,” Norman said.

Norman said thoughts changed a few years later when one owner sold his franchise and another owner was allowed to buy it. Norman then brought up the idea during a meeting with Carr.

“We started looking at maps. We were looking around 75 and 635, but that didn’t work out,” he said. “This area was more available. That’s how we wound up here.”

Cindi, whose background includes more than 30 years of nursing experience, left the field in January to work full-time with her husband. Norman’s background includes a variety of fields, including a number of years working at JB Hunt. Owning his own business was always his goal.

“From early on, I always knew I wanted to do something,” he said.

When Norman and Cindi first began dating, Norman was preparing to open a catering business, but Cindi made it clear she wasn’t thrilled about it.

“On the third date, Cindi said ‘I have no desire to do dishes on Friday and Saturday nights,’” Norman said.

Cindi’s father suggested they contact Christian Brothers Automotive, which was based in their native Houston area. The very first question Norman and Cindi Glass were asked when they met with the founder of Christian Brothers Automotive was how they came to know Jesus. Glass said they were attracted to the company’s foundation of honesty.

“As Christians you have to represent Christ effectively,” he said. “We thought that was fantastic.”

Norman and Cindi have had to learn about the car repair business from scratch, but said the company’s business model is one in which you don’t have to have an automotive background.

“Part of our task is to hire qualified personnel who do have an automotive background,” Norman said.

Christian Brothers Automotive provides full-service automotive diagnostic testing and evaluation, maintenance programs and repair work for all domestic and foreign vehicles at each of their locations. All of Christian Brother Automotive Corporations facilities are staffed with automotive service excellence (ASE) certified technicians. 

For information, visit carrolltonautorepair.com.

Current Rating: 3.6 of 7 votes!

Rate File: Select Rating: * ** *** ****