New location puts St. Croix Automotive in the fast lane

Lori Kaye Lodes

Contributor

August 18, 2025

NEW RICHMOND – Business at St. Croix Automotive is accelerating, and that’s just what Owner Matt Newpower said he envisioned for the small business he bought about a year ago.

The auto repair and service provider, Newport said, has had a presence in the New Richmond community since 2008.

Known for delivering great service rooted in hometown values, as the new owner, Newpower said he has no plans to change what’s working.

Instead, he said he is ramping up the volume of automotive service he knew the shop could perform – which warranted a new shop with more room. 

Newpower said the St. Croix Automotive team moved into its new building at 1470 Hamilton Ave. in mid-March.

The move to the north side of town and into a new facility, he said, wasn’t the only change – as the facility was outfitted with all new equipment, air conditioning, heated epoxy floors and quality lighting. 

The 12-bay, 9,500 square-foot building, Newpower said, is bigger both in sheer size and capacity.

“We’ve basically tripled in size, and we’ve got all new hoists, new equipment – everything [is] new in the shop,” he said. “And now we’re in the heart of all the shopping in the new part of New Richmond, near Caribou Coffee, Walmart and Starbucks.”

Newpower said he built the facility on land he purchased from Michael McDonald, from whom he also purchased the business.

A good fit

Specifically moving to the New Richmond area from the Twin Cities with his family in June 2024, to pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor, Newpower said he felt St. Croix Automotive was a good fit for that goal.

“[St. Croix Automotive] had a good reputation and had everything I wanted,” he said. “It did only have four bays before, and you could only do so much in the smaller shop and was maxed out, [but I had a] plan for the business, and I [pursued] it.”

Newpower said his purchase of the business came after he and his partner sold their two automotive shops in Minnesota.

He said he remained on after a private equity firm bought the businesses, managing seven stores as a district manager.

However, when operations started to change under the new ownership, Newpower said he tapped into the industry knowledge he had with the shops, plus his 15 years of prior experience at Tires Plus, for his next move.

Purchasing St. Croix Automotive, Newpower said, represented a fresh start not only for his family but the next iteration of the business known for working on all makes and models, including classics, domestics and European vehicles.

Though he acknowledges the shop is known for classic cars – and there are plenty of them making their way into the facility during the summer – Newpower said they’re well suited to work on all vehicles.

Consistent growth

Since taking over operations, he said the shop’s team of six at the old location has doubled to 12 at the new one – including three dedicated service advisors, a shop manager, seven technicians and an accounting team member.

Newpower said the hiring has been regular to keep pace with the influx of business entering the garage doors.

“In the past four months, we doubled our business from our old shop to here, and we just keep getting busier,” he said. “I just keep hiring people.”

Newpower said it doesn’t hurt that St. Croix Automotive entices people who haven’t visited to give the shop a try with an oil change – offering a full-service, synthetic motor oil change (up to eight quarts) and filter for $39.99.

St. Croix Automotive, he said, also performs a complete inspection.

“We document the inspection with photos and videos we can text or email to customers so they can see what we find on their cars,” he said. “It helps a lot with trust and building a relationship with customers.”

That relationship, Newpower said, is very important to him – just as it was a time-honored tradition with previous ownership and at its previous location.

The enticement for new customers to give St. Croix Automotive a try, he said, seems to be working – as at least 65% of the customers visiting St. Croix Automotive are new.

“We went from seeing 180 cars a month to 600 cars a month,” he said. 

Keeping pace with that need, Newpower said, is no small feat, as it is a challenge to hire and hire well.

Employing some people he has worked with in the past, Newpower said he’s also fortunate to have team members who were already employed with the business when he purchased it.

He said his No. 1 source of new employees is referrals from existing employees who are happy with their work environment.

“That’s how I have gotten quite a few of our new employees,” he said. “Putting out ads doesn’t work.”

Newpower said he appreciates the opportunity to run the business the way he prefers, which includes two key elements: rewarding employees but not paying sales commissions.

“I like the freedom to do things for my employees as they’re the reason the business does what it does,” he said. “I try to take care of them and do different things for them when we hit goals. Last month, I bought a cow and a half and gave everybody beef and steaks as a bonus. The month before, I gave money as a bonus. [Before that], we went on a fishing trip.”

Newpower said it’s a very common practice to pay commission in the industry, with mechanics earning their wages based on what they sell.

However, he said he prefers to address that differently.

“You get more teamwork, a better attitude in the shop, better relationships between the shop and the service writer when you [don’t pay commission],” he said. “They are all professionals who do their job and do it well. They don’t need a carrot dangled in front of them. If you have the right people, they can be paid hourly or on salary.”

Intentional technological advancements

Technology is top of mind for the new shop, Newpower said, though he isn’t rushing out to purchase every latest shiny object.

He said he recognizes there are certain technologies worth investing in, such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), sensors, cameras and other technologies that assist drivers with certain tasks – which can require software updates and recalibration after repairs and component requirements.

Such cases, Newpower said, can require specialized tools and procedures, so it pays to bring in the experts as needed.

“We have someone come in and do that on an as-needed basis,” he said. “We can fix anything the dealer can, and we can program computers and modules so people don’t have to go to the dealer. But ADAS requires a lot of cameras and a controlled environment [with certain] lighting and measurements.”

To aid in the other work, Newpower said the new shop features Ethernet ports so technicians can program computers and modules using a stable internet instead of relying on Wi-Fi.

He said that’s complemented by bigger hoists that help with bigger vehicles and computerized alignment equipment. 

“Before, we had to bring the cars to another shop to be aligned, and that happened three to four times a day,” he said. “Now, we can keep them here and work on them, and that helps a ton.”

For more information, visit stcroixautomotive.com.