A History of Krietz Auto from Owner, Charlie Krietz:

The year was 1983, and Kim and I had been married for two years. At the time I was delivering concrete for a company in Rockville, MD, but I had an idea. In my early 20s I had worked and managed several tire shops in Gettysburg, PA, my hometown. Now I wanted to return to that industry that I had a passion for, so I found the perfect location to start an auto repair business in New Market, MD. Lawson’s AMC was closing and the building was for rent. A lease was signed and Krietz Auto Repair, Inc. was off and running!

Equipment and inventory were needed, but since we just purchased our first house, Kim and I were cash poor. We went to my father-in-law and he co-signed a small loan to help get us started. After we bought a couple of lifts and machines, very little money was left to buy hand tools. Off to Sears we went for a Craftsman tool set! To carry my new set of tools, my wife Kim gave me her toolbox – the same one she used to carry her dental hygiene instruments in while at college. I threw a fit and wanted something nicer, but she brought me back down to reality. Work hard, save, and in time you will have a nice tool box!

After a year in business, we added a second division, Krietz Auto Sales. We started very small, with 3-7 cars on the lot. We purchased a tow truck as a service vehicle.

After five years in New Market, Mr. Lawson decided to expand his Wheel Horse operation, and we had to make a move. We landed in downtown Frederick at 4th and East Street. This was short lived, as the lot was quickly sold. Krietz Auto was looking for a new home once again.

580 East Church Street became our new location for five years. We became a U-Haul Dealer, which built our customer basis. U-Haul was very good to our business, and we were named in the Top 100 Dealers in the nation (out of 10,000) for 13 straight months in a row.

After a few years of passing a vacant restaurant (China Pearl) on the corner of 4th and East, we decided to make the owner an offer – she accepted! We were anxious to start the demolition and remodeling process to build the new Krietz Auto just as we envisioned. With blood, sweat and tears we did a lot of the demo work ourselves to save money. We worked with Frederick City for our permits to get Krietz Auto Repair moved to North East Street. Our builder worked with us to make our building custom and unique. In the beginning we only had three bays to work out of, but within the next five years we purchased the adjoining partial of land, tore down the existing duplex, and went from three to eight bays. We also added office space and a new show room, launching us into Phase 2 of Krietz Auto. For an independent dealership, we felt we were very unique. After a summer of grand openings, we settled in to growing our business. We closed as a U-Haul Dealer, after 14 years of service to the U-Haul name. Kim and I often said that orange blood ran through our veins.

In 2008, we completed Phase 3 of our growth, our newly paved parking lot.

Krietz Auto Today:

The year is now 2012 and Krietz Auto is about to celebrate 30 years of business. We’ve recently given the outside of the building a facelift. Stop by and see us if you haven’t been by in awhile! We’ve also added a third division, Krietz Auto Detailing. We are proud to now offer our customers everything they need to take excellent care of their cars, from the outside to under the hood.

We have a staff of 14 employees and feel we are still growing. We are a family owned and operated auto repair shop, and I am pleased to have my two sons working with me each day. Charlie III is my Used Car Manager and Cory works as an Auto Technician. My nephew, Adam, is also working with me daily as a Technician. take great pride in my staff, as I would not have the business I have without them.

I wish to personally thank each of my loyal customers in Frederick, MD and the surrounding local communities. Without your continued patronage and referrals, there would not be a Krietz Auto. My wish for each customer is to “Drive Home Happy!”

My next milestone is 40 years. I will be quite old, but hope to have some grandchildren helping me in some way in the business. I have truly surpassed my vision from 30 years ago. It has been many long hours and some sleepless nights, but “Wow! Look at me now!”

We look forward to seeing you again soon at Krietz Auto!

–Charlie Kreitz

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