Auto Aces opening sixth location in Northeast Wisconsin

Cheryl Hentz

Contributor

December 1, 2025

HOBART – Auto Aces® is expanding once again, with a new shop set to open in the new year.

The Village of Hobart becomes the latest community to welcome an Auto Aces location, joining shops already operating in Appleton, Ashwaubenon, Green Bay, De Pere and Howard.

Owner Brian Buck said he chose Hobart primarily for its growth, though it was not a decision he made lightly.

“I’d looked at that area for about three years,” he said. “During that time, I paid the majority of my other properties off and put myself in a position to buy something in Hobart.”

The growing community of a little more than 10,200 residents, Buck said, “offers the best of both worlds.”

“People want to get out of the city,” he said. “Hobart offers rural living, yet the city is right at your fingertips. There’s work [opportunities] all around you, and there are little communities all around you out there. It’s peaceful.”

Construction on the new shop began in mid-September, and Buck said it is expected to be completed in May 2026.

Room to work

Each Auto Aces shop, Buck said, differs in size.

The Hobart location, he said, will come in just under 9,000 square feet – a deliberate choice to avoid the added cost of a sprinkler system, which is required for buildings 9,000 square feet or larger.

Buck said one standard feature in all Auto Aces shops is the glass garage doors, which allow customers to see the work happening inside.

“Customers can see inside [and] passers-by can see what’s going on,” he said. “It’s just good transparency for what we’re doing.”

Buck said the new shop will have 10 bays facing each other.

“My average auto shop is seven bays, so 10 is big,” he said. “We’ll have a lot of room to work there, and it will have two ins and two outs – [which will make it] easier to tow cars in, so the tow guys will have an easy time getting in and getting out of there.”

When he designed this shop, as he did with his others, Buck said he designed it in a minimalistic way.

“I wanted a productive environment to be built,” he said. “It’s simple, it’s super nice-looking, but it’s only what I need.”

As with the other Auto Aces locations, Buck said the Hobart shop will work on all makes and models.

Though the shop won’t handle body work or painting, he said it will perform “any service under the hood or under the car.”

In addition, Buck said the shop will offer a shuttle service and loaner cars for longer or more extensive repairs.

“So, getting your car to and from us is pretty easy,” he said.

A customer waiting area is available, but Buck said the goal is to keep the waiting room empty.

“I’d prefer to give customers a ride somewhere or take them home, or something like that,” he said. “We don’t want customers waiting, if we can help it. But we do have a waiting area.”

Buck said Auto Aces emphasizes quality and thoroughness in its repairs.

“We always check under the hood – checking the fluids and tire pressures – we call them the vitals of your car,” he said. “That’s always complimentary when customers come in.”

Furthermore, Buck said Auto Aces extends its care beyond the repair itself, offering service and support afterward.

“If something goes wrong – and it happens from time to time; that’s reality – we stand up for what we do and fix it,” he said. “We look the customer in the eye when there’s a problem.”

Over the years, Buck said he has built a solid customer base by delivering quality service at fair prices and treating customers with respect.

He said Auto Aces is also unique in that a visit doesn’t always require spending money.

“[Customers] can just stop in and get straightforward advice or a free opinion about a car issue they might be having.”

Buck said the shop also offers pre-purchase inspections, helping buyers evaluate a car before committing to a purchase.

“If someone is thinking of buying a car, we’re happy to look it over for people,” he said. “We do this all the time… If we don’t have to take the car into the shop, it’s free for us to look it over. If we do have to take it into the shop, it’s $60.”

Buck said customers don’t need an appointment for quick services like battery checks or tire pressure inspections. 

He said the shop doesn’t offer discounts or specials, an approach that reflects his experience and philosophy built over years in the business.

“I haven’t run coupons in years – I just don’t believe in it,” he said. “I believe in giving good service at a fair price. Even with my TV commercials, I rarely sell anything. I just do them for top-of-mind awareness. That’s just my stance on most stuff like that. If you know my name, you’ll know where to call. I don’t need to sell you anything. There’s no such thing as ‘buy three tires and get one free.’ That’s not a real thing.”

Credits staff for success

Buck said he began repairing cars in October 1992 at the same West Mason Street shop he now owns.

In 2012, he said he bought out of that franchise and began his own Auto Aces franchise.

Buck said he’s proud some of the people he went to mechanics school with still work for him today. 

“I retain my employees, and I have a lot of guys with more than 10 years of employment, and some guys pushing 30 years of employment,” he said. “We have a great work environment, and between our code of ethics and the way we do things. It’s just a nice place to work. I’m proud of the fact that we’re locally owned and operated. The boss actually works here.” 

Buck said he visits each of his five shops weekly, typically spending a day at each location.

His tasks, he said, vary depending on what is needed at the time.

For example, Buck said that one week he was in De Pere, covering for a staff member and managing the shop from the front office.

The previous week, he said he stepped in for a mechanic and worked on vehicles in the shop.

“My skillset is, I’m a mechanic first, but I’ll run the business side and might work up front and run the counter when I’m there,” he said. “I’ll do a little bit of everything. But generally, I’ll work up front as the manager.”

Regardless of what he’s doing, Buck said he loves his job and enjoys going to work every day. 

“I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” he said. “I’m very happy doing what I do.”

Buck said he also strives to make the work environment enjoyable for his employees.

“We encourage a family setting for my employees where family comes first,” he said. “We have a good balance between life and work.”

One of the biggest challenges for him and his staff, Buck said, came during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team, he said, continued working through it, despite staggered bouts of illness among employees.

“We had to cover shifts, but nobody didn’t get paid their 40 hours – I covered all that,” he said.

COVID aside, Buck said the team adapts when employees are ill, covering for one another to keep the shop running.

“We’ve worked through the workforce issues,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to retain my employees, which has been really good. I’m one of the very few who are lucky enough not to have to be looking for people or be shorthanded or understaffed. We’re like our own little community, I guess. That’s just our culture.” 

Buck said he attributes both his and Auto Aces’ success to the dedication of his employees.

“It’s all my people – they deserve all the credit,” he said. “My team, my managers, my techs and all the well-trained people behind me – it’s all them.”

Buck said he currently has 38 employees across all his locations, including the Hobart shop, even though it has not yet opened.

He said he hires staff in advance to ensure new locations are ready to go.

“I don’t like having new guys [working on their own], so I’ve hired people already so they know my system,” he said. “That way, when we open, it won’t be anything new. They’ll have been working within my system for five or six months.”

Buck said all Auto Aces technicians are professionally trained, with the majority having attended Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.

And to remain up to speed in the industry, Buck said technicians undergo annual advanced training through classes sponsored by NAPA or O’Reilly Auto Parts.

Future looks bright

Even with the grand opening for the Hobart location still months away, Buck said the celebration will welcome the public, include a food truck and host the shop’s business partners.

“Our working partners include folks like Interstate Batteries, NAPA Tools, O’Reilly Auto Parts, towing companies – all the people we do business with on a daily basis to help us do what we do,” he said. “And we’ll have tool and tow trucks there for display, so people can walk around them. Not everybody gets to walk on a tool truck, where we do that all the time. So, the public will have a chance to come see that.”

When asked if he plans to open additional locations beyond the six shops he will have after Hobart opens, Buck said he will most likely add at least one more.

“We’re still growing and have some room to go,” he said. “We’ve looked at doing something maybe on the east side of Green Bay – that would be our next target area. Beyond that, I’m not sure where else I might do something. Plus, I’m 51 years old, and I’m not sure how many more times I want to do this.”

With Appleton as his southernmost shop, Buck said he doesn’t intend to expand significantly further south. 

“From where I live, I can get to all my shops in like 35 minutes,” he said. “We’re pretty comfortable in this area. It seems to be a pretty good fit for us.”For more information on Auto Aces, visit autoacesonline.com.