Auto Shop Answers Taps Industry Veteran Stasch to Engineer Billion-Dollar Push

HOUSTON, TX – June 29, 2026 – In a move that reverberates through the independent automotive repair sector, Auto Shop Answers announced today it has appointed Bryan Stasch as its new Vice President of Coaching, Peer Groups & Member Success. While executive appointments are routine, this one is a clear strategic gambit, signaling the Houston-based firm’s intent to aggressively scale its operations and solidify its leadership in a rapidly evolving market. The hiring of Stasch, an industry heavyweight with a formidable reputation, is less about filling a role and more about acquiring a critical asset in the company’s ambitious quest to build a billion-dollar enterprise.

Auto Shop Answers has been vocal about its “rapid national expansion,” a claim substantiated by significant growth in its training event attendance and recruiting placements over the past two years. The addition of Stasch is designed to pour gasoline on that fire. He is tasked not only with enhancing the company's core coaching offerings but also with architecting the member success framework necessary to support exponential growth. For a company aiming to transform the fortunes of thousands of independent shop owners, bringing in a leader known for precisely that is a decisive statement of intent.

A Coaching Heavyweight Enters the Ring

Bryan Stasch is no stranger to the challenges and opportunities facing independent repair facilities. With a career spanning over 25 years in executive coaching, his name carries significant weight. His reputation was forged during a long and influential tenure at the Automotive Training Institute (ATI), where he was instrumental in shaping coaching programs and content. Starting in the industry as a technician in the 1980s and eventually co-owning three successful shops, Stasch possesses a ground-level credibility that resonates deeply with his clientele. He understands the grease and the balance sheets.

At ATI, he rose from Chief Instructor to Head of Member Fulfillment, overseeing a large team of coaches, before becoming VP of Product and Content Development. His philosophy has long centered on the owner's mindset, with one industry insider recalling his maxim: “You can fix any shop in the country, but you can’t fix every owner.” This focus on leadership transformation is precisely what Auto Shop Answers is betting on. Todd Westerlund, the company's President, framed the hire as a foundational investment. “Bryan Stasch is one of the most respected coaching professionals our industry has ever produced,” he stated in the official announcement. “His experience, integrity, leadership, and passion for helping others perfectly align with our mission.”

Stasch’s immediate agenda includes a deep dive into the company’s operations, including a tour of the Houston Boston Partnership’s facilities and a firsthand experience with its proprietary “Key to Key to Callbacks™” operating system. This hands-on approach suggests he will be integrating his own proven methodologies with the company’s existing, award-winning platform to create a more potent formula for member success.

Systemizing Success for the Independent Shop

The core of the Auto Shop Answers value proposition lies in its structured systems, designed to make the success of its founder’s high-performing shops replicable. Stasch’s arrival is expected to supercharge the delivery and evolution of these systems. Offerings like “Auto Hospitality™” and “Key to Key to Callbacks™” are more than just branding; they represent detailed operational playbooks. The latter, an in-depth course on process management from vehicle drop-off to post-service follow-up, has been credited with generating over $600,000 in monthly retained revenue from callbacks and pre-bookings for one of its affiliated programs.

Stasch’s role will be to ensure these systems are not just taught but deeply embedded into the culture and operations of member shops. His expertise in developing leadership teams and improving customer experiences will be pivotal. For the independent shop owner grappling with technician shortages, the complexity of EV and ADAS repairs, and razor-thin margins, such structured support is a lifeline. Stasch’s focus on building businesses that create “financial freedom and personal fulfillment” speaks directly to the aspirations of these entrepreneurs.

“I've spent my career helping independent shop owners build businesses that support the life they truly want,” Stasch commented on his move. “When I met the leadership team at Auto Shop Answers and experienced their vision firsthand, I knew this was where I wanted to continue that mission.” His immediate plans to introduce new coaching programs and expand peer groups are aimed squarely at empowering this demographic, providing them with the tools to not just survive but thrive against the backdrop of industry consolidation.

The Road to a Billion-Dollar Vision

Auto Shop Answers’ long-term vision of creating a “$1 billion automotive services enterprise” is audacious. However, it’s an ambition grounded in the realities of a massive and growing market. The global automotive repair and maintenance sector is projected to exceed $1.15 trillion by 2031, with North America accounting for a substantial share. The independent garage segment, which Auto Shop Answers exclusively serves, represents a nearly $80 billion slice of the North American market today.

Achieving this vision requires more than just effective systems; it demands a platform that can scale massively without diluting its quality or impact. This is where Stasch’s appointment becomes strategically critical. He is now the chief architect of the human capital side of that scaling equation. His task is to build a coaching and member success organization that can effectively onboard and elevate thousands of shops across the continent.

The company’s multi-pronged strategy—combining coaching, proprietary software, AI-driven solutions, recruiting, and leadership development—forms a comprehensive ecosystem. Stasch’s decades of experience in productizing and delivering coaching content at scale will be invaluable as the firm pushes toward its financial targets. As Westerlund noted, this move represents a “major investment in the future of independent repair shop owners,” an investment the company believes will yield returns for both its members and its own bottom line as it continues its journey to reshape the industry landscape.