Cottman Man Doug Scott Is Flying High At The Gladstone, Missouri Cottman Center

GLADSTONE, MO / ACCESSWIRE / October 14, 2015 / Unlike so many other center owners, Doug Scott, owner of the Gladstone, Missouri Cottman, never worked as an auto technician professionally. “I used to be a commercial airline pilot,” he says.

Then what got him into operating a Cottman center? Turns out he was injured when he fell off an entry ladder. While he was out of work recuperating, he and his wife, Mary a self-employed CPA, started thinking about their future.

“I was away a lot – 16… 18… sometimes 20 days a month – and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back to that. So I started looking for other possibilities that would allow me to be home more often. That’s when my wife suggested opening my own business.”

But why fixing cars? “I made a list of the things that interested me. I grew up on a farm, and my dad fixed everything; we didn’t have the time or money to have someone come out every time something broke down or needed maintenance.”

“That’s where I learned how to repair things. I always worked on my own cars, and even though I’m not a professional mechanic myself, I have some mechanical ability and a basic understanding of automotive concepts.”

“So when the Gladstone Cottman center became available, I thought it might be a good fit. And because it was a franchise, I knew the Cottman home office would handle a lot of the business details for me, so I wouldn’t get bogged down in every little facet of running the business.”

“The whole process took a few months, and suddenly I was a business owner. The previous owner stayed on for a couple months and showed me the ropes, and Cottman provided some training. Now I drive to work every day and I drive home every evening.” Not that the transition was a walk in the park; Doug admits there was a steep learning curve. “I’m still learning,” he says.

One thing that Doug had to learn was how to handle outside sales. It was a new experience for him, but it seems to be working out pretty well.

While they’re doing some general repair, they’re still primarily a transmission center. Today about 70% of their work is transmission related.

When asked what it was about his center that he’s most proud of, Doug said, “We run an honest, productive business. We try to do what’s right for our customers and provide them with quality repairs. And we’ll never try to sell anything the customer doesn’t really need.”

Sounds like clear skies ahead for Doug and crew.

Contact Doug and his team at www.CottmanofGladstone.com.

To read other Cottman profiles that may be near you please visit: http://thecottmanmanblog.com/category/franchisees-in-the-news/.

About Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care:

With locations across the U.S., Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care is a transmission and auto repair brand that services almost any make or model vehicle, foreign or domestic. Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care centers specialize in complete transmission service, brakes, suspension, air conditioning service and much more. Cottman’s headquarters is based in Horsham, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit www.Cottman.com and www.TheCottmanManBlog.com.

Contact:

Derik Beck
dbeck@cottman.com
267-464-7212

SOURCE: Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care

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