25 Years And Growing

You might say U.S. Automotive started with a rock.  Not just a single rock, but a 30 foot trailer full of them picked up one back-breaking rock at a time.  That’s how Terry Hyden learned the value of a job well done:  clearing fields with a friend as a teenager.  “The place I remember so well is Grant at WW and 13,” says Terry. “There were 30 acres and we picked all the rocks that would fit on the trailer—two trailers.  It took all day.  And we got ten dollars a day and we really thought that was something.”

There’s a lot to be said for working hard, but even more for working smart.  Terry had a good training ground for both attributes.  His father operated a salvage business for over 35 years, so when he wasn’t slinging rocks, Terry was helping his father in the business and learning everything he could about how an engine works.  When he opened U.S. Automotive in 1985, Terry made training and technology a cornerstone of his business, providing his certified technicians with state of the art equipment, information services and software.  Even as an owner, Terry continues to increase his knowledge and has become 1 of only 1480 Automotive Management Institute (AMI) graduates.  The training commitment is a major reason U.S. Automotive was awarded “Facility of the Year” by Automotive Service Association (ASA) for Missouri and Kansas in 2008.

Today U.S. Automotive has grown to serve customers with a combined 28 bays at their Springfield and Nixa stores.  In 2010 U.S. Automotive celebrated its 25th Anniversary and they did it Terry’s way—working hard to add more trained technicians, more diagnostic equipment, and a department dedicated to fleet sales and employee discount programs.  Apparently working hard is a pretty smart way to run a business.