Some people just can’t quit. For Mike Mouch, since leaving high school he has found himself owning businesses: From landscaping to a racetrack to a quick lube shop, Mouch has proved himself as a household name within Lake Odessa, Michigan.
After suffering an injury and having to sell his previous business, Mouch found himself yet again running another operation—this time, a local quick lube shop, sold to him by the widow of the recently deceased owner.
Mouch was entrusted to take the business and uphold its reputation in the community, and not only would he uphold it but lift it to new heights.
The Final Lap
Though Mouch has a history of working around cars, he wasn’t initially involved with auto care. He owned a local racetrack for nearly two decades, hosting around 2,000 to 3,000 people each week.
With food, auto parts, and souvenirs for sale, the racetrack became a burgeoning place of activity for Lake Odessa: a town so tiny it doesn’t have one stoplight within it. As the racetrack grew in popularity, Mouch became familiar with other local business owners and established himself as a part of the community.
Mouch’s foray into the quick lube field began with an injury forcing him away from the racetrack. A fall caused him to injure his back and shatter his ribs, and for a while, it was unclear if he would be able to ever walk again.
Not only that, but Mouch was simultaneously dealing with the recent death of his father. It all became too much for him to handle, and he finally decided to sell the racetrack to an individual who had long been eager to buy it. Mouch completed the sale while lying in a hospital bed.
'The Hair Salon of Oil Change'
It wasn’t long before Mouch would find himself drawn yet again to owning a business. Just as he was getting healed up to the point where he could walk around, he decided to visit the local farm supply store when he overheard that the owner of an auto shop in town, Cobb’s Quick Lube, had passed away.
First opened in 2002, Mouch was familiar with the business as they had sponsored his racetrack for a time, even having their own VIP viewing box. He got in touch with the owner’s wife, and when she mentioned that she would be selling Cobb’s, Mouch expressed interest.
His relationships with the community and experience as a business owner have undoubtedly been helpful for Mouch, but one of the greatest assets he gained with the shop was the previous owner’s son staying on as manager.
Though Mouch was familiar with the process of ordering parts and supplies, the original owner’s son provided him with insight into the companies and brands he would be working with and the specific needs of the business he now runs.
“The best asset I could have had, honestly,” says Mouch. “He's a good teacher, trainer, and he's young and he's a go-getter.”
After taking over the shop, Mouch decided to change its name from Cobb’s to Conrad’s Quick Lube, in memory of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, who all three had the middle name Conrad.
One of Mouch’s biggest motivations for taking over the business was his passion for community involvement, and it was something he didn’t hesitate to integrate into Conrad’s Quick Lube. He would occasionally set up an enclosed barbecue trailer that offered smoked wings, briskets, and sandwiches.
“Our town only has McDonald's and a Dairy Queen, there's not a whole lot to eat here,” Mouch explains. “We were cooking homemade smoked mac and cheese, and briskets, and pulled pork, so we were selling like 125 meals roughly a day.”
While Mouch can often be found in the shop working with his techs, he’s commonly in front building relationships with customers. He views it as one of the most essential parts of building a business that people remember and are invested in.
“I’m kind of like the local, older guy coffee shop, I guess; like the hair salon of oil change,” says Mouch, laughing.
Though Lake Odessa is a small town, Conrad’s Quick Lube is in a good area, giving it a lot of potential to be the sort of social hub Mouch describes.
Indeed, he derives genuine satisfaction from having a sort of fellowship with his customers, and it’s something he finds easy—but he credits having a wonderful team with that.
Fellowship of The Shop
Mouch doesn’t get overwhelmed often. Having owned businesses since graduating from high school helped him, as well as inheriting the previous owner’s son as a manager—but without a reliable crew, that all becomes moot.
Though he realizes he’s the owner and boss of the shop, Mouch rarely has to remind his crew of this. They know what they need to do, and if they don’t, the relationship they have with Mouch encourages open communication.
Each week, the staff attend meetings to discuss thoughts or concerns they have about anything happening in the shop. If there’s something they aren’t understanding or a problem they’re having, Mouch is receptive and works with them to find a solution.
When hiring techs, it’s important to Mouch that they not only are capable but fit in with the shop’s culture. He’s more than willing to hire a tech with little technical training but a great work ethic—the latter is much harder to teach to someone.
Respect and communication in Mouch’s shop is a two-way street. From chatting with customers to throwing a pigskin around outside with his techs during downtime, being immersed in his community and connecting with others energizes him too much for him to feel drained.
“I feel like you're only as good as what the people around you are,” Mouch says. “So, surround yourself with good people, and you'll be fine, and want to go to work every day, and not expect anything for free, and enjoy what you do.”
