RR 163: Frank Scandura from Frank’s European

Frank Scandura from Frank’s European in Las Vegas, NV started working on cars as a teenager in upstate New York. He moved to Las Vegas in 1988 after a back injury prevented him from working on cars as a technician.

His own shop.
His first immersion in the business was pumping gas at 15 years old in Orange County New York. Once in Las Vegas, Frank was a service writer at a Mercedes dealer in Las Vegas. He opened Frank’s European Service in 2001 and grew to a 12,000-square foot, 10 bay shop in the northwest part of Las Vegas, not far from the famous Strip! He was known as ‘Frank from Mercedes’. He now has 15 team members and is a partner with his wife Deborah.

Episode Highlights.
Frank Scandura shares his business acumen and offers insights and trends on leadership. He shares:

• The day his light bulb went on and he discovered a total appreciation for his team and customers.
• Why putting people, customers and purpose first always produces strong profits.
• How he transitioned from technician to business owner. It wasn’t easy for him. Lesson learned.
• How he has improved at hiring better people and talks about his hiring practices.
• And the value of processes, parts supplier relationships and what it takes to satisfy dissatisfied customers.
• The value of digital vehicle inspections for shops today.

AAPEX Panelist and business coach.
Frank also discusses technician issues and the importance and value of a strong business culture. He talks about being a panelist at AAPEX 2015 and 2016 and the value he requires from his suppliers. He is a business coach for Elite Worldwide.

Mission.
Frank believes in having a strong mission statement. His is posted on a 3 X 5 poster in his waiting room.

Our mission is to provide the best European automotive repair and service experience possible by serving our customers with unparalleled honesty, integrity, and quality.

Training Center.
Frank has equipped a 3,000 SQFT space in his building for use as a training center. AutoVitals is using his training center as a regional training facility. Frank is also a senior digital shop adviser and trainer for AutoVitals.

Suppliers.
He wants his parts suppliers to use his training facility, no charge, but not one of them has taken him up on his offer.

Apprentice Program.
He is going to implement an apprentice program to train his future technicians. Frank mentions the apprentice program from ASLA. The American Skilled Labor Association. It was formed by shop owner Mike Davidson. Hear the episode with Mike Davidson on ASLA here. Here is the link to the ASLA website.

Authored his own book.
Frank wrote a book How To Take Care Of Your Vehicle So It Will Take Care Of You. He gives it to his customers after he signs it. (He tells the story of how he came to write his book) Frank is also on the editorial advisory board for Import Car Magazine.

Giving and paying it forward.
Frank Scandura has contributed in many ways to the success of the aftermarket, speaking, appearing on many panels and seminars along with writing articles.

Frank enjoys his grandchildren, quad riding and giving back to the community and industry. He supports several local charities, and serves on the advisory board of several local schools.

Frank mentions these books in the interview:

• E-Myth Revisited, Michael E. Gerber
• Any book by John Maxwell
• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Frank’s European webiste

Franks European Overview

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