Keeping trucks – and tradition – rolling

Meghan Diemel

Contributor

June 15, 2026

APPLETON – Founders Scott and Debbie Fabel said family has been central to Fabel Repair and Collision Center since its founding in 1991.

With locations in Appleton and Waupaca, the duo said business – which is marking 35 years of operation in 2026 – remains family-owned and -operated and continues to serve customers across the region.

Over the years, Scott said the business has grown to become one of the largest independent truck repair and collision operations in Northeast Wisconsin. 

What started as an alignment and oil change business, he said, has evolved into a full-service operation capable of handling a broad range of commercial vehicle repairs. 

“We cater to commercial customers [and] small, mom-and-pop businesses throughout the area,” he said. “We cover probably a good 50-mile radius with our normal [repeat customers who] come in for their regular preventative maintenance inspections and oil changes [and] their DOT inspections.”

Scott said the business’s footprint has grown alongside its service offerings.

After establishing its Appleton location, he said Fabel expanded into Waupaca in 2011.

Scott said the company later opened a collision repair facility in Appleton in 2019, expanded its Waupaca operation in 2021, launched Fabel Truck Sales and added a full trailer-repair facility in 2024.

The growth continues in 2026, he said, with the installation of an automated commercial truck wash system at the Appleton facility.

Scott said the project is nearing completion, with a reopening planned for mid to late June.

He said business growth does not happen overnight and, as entrepreneurs know, often comes with long hours, sacrifices and hard work.

Scott said being a family-owned business – with his son, Shea, working alongside him – is a great source of pride, and is something that resonates deeply when he looks back on the past 35 years. 

“I have a legacy here that I’m really excited to be able to share with my family,” he said. “Something I’ve taken a lot of pride in building, so there would be something here down the road for my family.”

Also having worked alongside his dad as a young man, Scott said it was important for him to not just build something for his own kids, but to put the family name on the doors as well.

“My dad passed away when he was 54, and his business wasn’t in his name at all,” he said. “I wanted this business to be in my name, so I could share that with our family and have it be an ongoing entity for a long time for our families.”

New automated wash supports continued growth 

Shea said the nearly completed automated wash reflects the company’s continued growth and commitment to supporting both the transportation industry and the local community. 

The wash, he said, is designed to accommodate a wide range of vehicles – from oversized pickup trucks and vans to full semitrucks and trailers, RVs and enclosed trailers.

As demand continues to grow for faster and more convenient fleet and commercial vehicle services, the Fabel family said they saw an opportunity to invest in equipment that serves both commercial operators and everyday vehicle owners throughout the Fox Valley. 

“We’ve been washing trucks here for many years,” Scott said.

In 2010, Scott said they began to recognize high employee turnover in this area of work, as washing a full semi tractor and trailer is physically demanding. 

“So, we put a machine in back then to reduce the amount of labor needed for washing these commercial vehicles,” he said. “Over the last 15 years now, our machine has washed [about] 400 trucks a month and we basically wore the thing out.”

Now, the Fabel family is completely renovating the wash bay and introducing an automatic wash to replace the aging machine – a project that includes removing the floor and redesigning the drainage and heating systems for improved flow and in-floor heat. 

Scott said they also put up brand-new paneling along all the walls to create a clean, white look within the bay. 

Though the machine installed in 2010 reduced manual labor, Scott said employee turnover remained a challenge – which ultimately led to the decision to invest in fully automated wash bay equipment to improve safety, streamline operations and lower customer costs.  

“The customer will come up to the bay, choose [their] wash like [they] would a car wash at a kiosk, and then drive into the bay and have the machine fully wash the vehicle,” he said. “The customer will be able to have their vehicle cleaned in a much shorter amount of time than they had in the past.”

Shea said the process is expected to make services more budget-friendly for customers.  

“[Previously], a truck with a trailer wash that could be anywhere from $150 to $175 could [now be] around $100,” he said.

The Fabel family said the new automated equipment also reduces customer wait times, cutting the wash from roughly 45 minutes to an hour down to about 15 minutes.

“Now, we can get this more streamlined and [create] less of a wait time for people, and [get them] back on the road quicker,” Shea said.

Honoring a family legacy of hard work, determination

Though his journey into entrepreneurship officially began at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, where he earned a degree in automotive marketing, Scott said he spent years working alongside his father and learning valuable lessons in the trade.

During that time, he said he also recognized a growing need for a full-service truck and collision repair facility. 

When he eventually ventured out on his own with Fabel Repair and Collision Center, Scott said he and Debbie focused on building a reputation rooted in quality workmanship, dependable service and strong customer relationships.  

Shea said the family is grateful for longtime employees who have stood by the business over the years, many of whom have treated it with the same care and commitment as their own.  

“The shop has been around as long as I’ve been born,” he said. “I’m 27 years old, and I remember coming here when I was three, four, five years old on the weekends with my dad – coming in to clean the shop or see what’s going on. Being able to be a part of this generational growth we have here, and being a part of [keeping] this business moving for another 35 years means everything to me.”

The Fabel family said they celebrate Fabel Repair and Collision Center’s 35th anniversary this fall with an inaugural car and truck show Sept. 12.

The September event, Scott said, will feature multiple classes of cars and semitrucks, along with on-site food trucks and a Boogie and the Yo-Yoz concert.

True to the Fabel family’s long-standing commitment to community philanthropy, Scott said the event will also benefit the Humane Society.
“It should be a really, really fun time,” he said.

Reflecting on the company’s longevity, Scott said he is equally proud of its support of the community, including a long history of hosting customer appreciation events and placing a strong emphasis on giving back. 

Past efforts, he said, have included baseball and race team sponsorships, participation in the Civic Club in Greenville and support for the Humane Society. 

Scott said he takes pride in the business’s future and is confident Shea, along with his sons-in-law Jake and Zach, can carry it forward into the next 35 years. 

Shea said the anniversary reflects what the family has built together and their ongoing commitment to continuing his parents’ legacy. 

“Words really can’t explain how much it means to us to keep this moving, and where we can go from here,” he said. 

For more information about Fabel Repair and Collision Center, visit fabeltruck.com.