Like most kids whose families own a business, Zach Stinnett spent a lot of time in his family’s collision repair shop growing up. He’d work in the summers as a detailer, watching his grandfather, Walt — who founded the business with his grandmother, Ruth, in 1965 — diligently work alongside his father, Lee, to run Stinnett Collision in Maryville, Tennessee.
But unlike many generational owners, Zach didn’t envision himself owning the business from day one.
“My dad joined full-time right after high school in the late 1970s and worked tirelessly until his retirement in 2017,” Stinnett explained. “Interestingly, I never planned on following this path, though — I had dreams of becoming a doctor.”
During his sophomore year at East Tennessee State University, however, Zach began second-guessing whether he’d made the right decision.
“Organic chemistry gave me a reality check,” he admitted. “After that, I had a heartfelt conversation with my parents about stepping into the family business, and here I am today.”
After switching majors and graduating with a degree in business administration, Stinnett returned to the shop in 2015 and worked in every position — from detailer, to painter, to tech, and estimator — before taking on a management role and officially assuming ownership in 2022.
Stinnett says he’s never regretted the choice, and running the business is the “perfect fit” for him. Like his grandparents and father, Zach is operating with a generosity-first mentality, growing with the goal of helping as many people as possible both inside and outside the business.
Growing Across Three Generations
When Papaw and Nana — as Zach and his family lovingly refer to Walt and Ruth Stinnett — started Stinnett Collision on a corner lot in the mid ‘60s, they did it with a $5,000 loan from Ruth’s father and a dream — nothing more.
“I once heard my grandpa tell someone that people laughed at him and told him he wouldn’t last a month when he left his dealership job to start the shop,” recalled Stinnett. “It was just him and my grandma in the beginning — he worked on the cars and nana did the books; they certainly took a risk!”
He never let the doubters deter him though, says Stinnett, who remembers his grandpa chuckling while telling the story.
As it turns out, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
When Zach was approached with the opportunity to expand to a second location in Sevierville in the spring of 2024, the timing couldn’t have been more complicated — Zach’s wife had just given birth to twins and life was hectic. But Stinnett knew in his gut it was the right thing to do and, despite doubt from others, he moved forward with the deal, opening with “remarkable” success in the first year.
Now, after doubling the size of the Maryville shop to 25,000 sq. ft. with an addition in 2023 (including an oversized paint booth for medium/heavy duty trucks) and acquiring 12,500 sq. ft. in Sevierville — and with nearly 40 employees between the two locations — Stinnett is perfectly positioned to continue expanding operations. The plan, he says, is to grow into a regional MSO throughout eastern Tennessee before possibly expanding into surrounding states.
“The word I use whenever we have any leadership meetings is ‘scalable’ — how do we make this process scalable to multiple stores? Because that's the vision. Multiple locations. Everyone knows it, and it’s a mindset reflected in the team we've built — the last several hires share this same vision.”
Stinnett doesn’t have a set number of locations or specific targets in mind, but every opportunity he pursues has to make sense strategically. And while he’s not actively looking for a third shop, he’s open to the right opportunity. But he’ll always grow diligently.
“My grandpa always told me that you can’t borrow your way out of debt,” Stinnett says. It’s a sentiment he says he understands better than ever now that he’s running the business, and he plans to continue reinvesting heavily back into the shops, just like his grandparents and dad have for the past 60 years.
“I’m open to building from the ground up or acquiring, as long as they align with our brand and values. Culture is incredibly important to us, and it’s the first thing I consider in any potential acquisition. Maintaining a strong, positive culture is key to sustaining our success as we grow.”
A Legacy of Generosity
Stinnett’s desire to continually expand the business is motivated by a purpose deeper than profit — he wants to carry on the legacy of generosity that he’s seen modeled his entire life.
“It’s always been about more than just fixing cars for our family,” says Stinnett. “My grandparents were extremely generous people who did not seek attention for it. I can remember times when my grandmother would read about someone in the newspaper who fell on hard times, and she’d mail a check to that person anonymously. And my grandfather…there’s no telling how many cars he’s given to people who needed them over the years.”
Stinnett is constantly thinking about ways to help others, both now and in the future. He envisions potentially having a nonprofit arm to the business and even a foundation someday. For the time being, a giving/philanthropy committee meets regularly to determine how to best distribute funds and help in the local community and beyond. Recent donations have included support to United Way and Isaiah 117 House, a local nonprofit that houses foster children awaiting placement in a permanent home.
“I know it’s kind of morbid, but when I think about what I’d like people to say about me at my funeral, I hope they say I was generous…that I gave a lot away to people who need it.”
For him, more shops and more income equate to more ways he can help others — and that’s a mindset his family is surely proud of.
Staying One Step Ahead
To continue growing the business, Stinnett understands the need to stay one step ahead of what most other shops are doing. For the time being, that means investing heavily in electric vehicle repair and certifications.
“I'm positioning us for whatever comes our way, and right now it’s the EVs. I don't know if EVs are where the country will necessarily end up, but that's where we are right now. There's a lot of EVs all over the road, and I want those people to know about us.”
Stinnett says his initial interest in EV certification came about when Amazon started opening distribution centers in his county, bringing an influx of Rivian vans along with them.
After doing some research and realizing that the EV sector could be highly profitable, Stinnett and his team acquired certifications for both Rivian (fleet and collision certifications) and Tesla — and trained dedicated EV service advisors — to position Stinnett Collision as the leading EV-dedicated repair center in the Knoxville area.
“EV customers are different — they’re very passionate about their vehicles and often have a deep connection with their cars,” explained Stinnett. That’s especially true of Tesla owners, he says, who he likened to members of a “fan club.”
Although he admittedly didn’t understand the hype at first, he now says he gets it after buying his own Tesla. “I’m officially in the fan club!” he joked. “They’re incredible vehicles.”
Stinnett is a member of the Knoxville EV Association now, too, and says he often lets people drive his car to show off its capabilities.
Despite how incredible they are, though, EVs aren’t without their challenges when it comes to repairs.
“Technician safety is a major concern. It’s critical that our technicians are thoroughly knowledgeable about how to safely disable the high-voltage systems. You can get seriously injured — or even die — if you touch the wrong thing on an EV.”
The importance of reading and following OEM repair procedures can’t be overstated, he says, “and I’d argue that it’s even more vital with EVs than any other car, particularly from the tech safety standpoint.”
Stinnett is so serious about safety that he took the Rivian and Tesla certification courses himself, to ensure the shop would be properly equipped. But achieving certification didn’t come cheap.
“If you don’t have any of the equipment, it’s around $150–250k to get EV certified with both Tesla and Rivian,” he says.
In addition to purchasing specialty safety equipment and hand tools, the shop also had to purchase a battery lift table, a specialty diagnostic tool and calibration targets, and specialty clamps for the shop’s Car-O-Liner frame machine / measuring system. There are also dedicated isolation areas, including a designated spot on the property for EVs with battery damage.
“Tesla also requires a certain Wi-Fi speed and light lumens count in the shop, and a separate management system for onsite Teslas. Each Tesla has to maintain its battery charge above a certain percentage as well, among other things, so we installed a level 2 charger for all EV's we work on — which also wasn’t cheap!”
Given the investment he’s made, inquiring minds want to know…is a dedicated EV shop in the company’s future? Maybe, says Stinnett; but he wants to see more volume first.
“Right now, about 15-20% of our sales are EVs, but that’s picking up with the work the Amazon Rivian vans are starting to bring in.”
In addition to their EV certs, the shop boasts nearly 20 additional OEM certifications, “basically everything that isn’t European,” says Stinnett, and they’re also an I-CAR Gold Class shop. Right now, Stinnett envisions continuing to work on both gas and electric cars concurrently, staying up to date on the newest technology and training for both sectors to stay one step ahead of the competition for decades to come.
Keeping a People-First Mindset
Stinnett says his dad told him early on to “take care of people and focus on what you can control,” advice he’s certainly taking to heart.
“Dad always took care of his employees first,” said Stinnett, “sometimes even at the expense of his own profit. He was always willing to make sacrifices. If business was slow, Dad would not take a check to make sure the shop stayed open and that his people were taken care of.”
Building and maintaining relationships is one of his father’s greatest strengths, says Stinnett, both with employees and customers. “I still can’t go anywhere with him without running into 10 people he knows,” he chuckled.
And here again, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with Zach, who has a passion for people and workplace culture himself. Even though it might sound cliché, he says, it’s the shop’s culture that truly sets them apart.
“There’s a reason several of our employees commute over an hour each way to work every day — how many other shops do they pass on the way?” Stinnett mused. “We’ve created a fun, supportive work environment where we all win together. A happy team is a productive team.”
And fun, as it turns out, is serious business at Stinnett Collision — an official committee plans team-building events, à la The Office, year-round.
In 2024, employees enjoyed everything from monthly birthday celebrations to a crawfish boil, tailgate party, Tennessee Smokies game, chili cook-off, cookie decorating party (with leftovers delivered to local police and fire departments), holiday parties, and more. The Christmas party even featured casino tables and an on-site hibachi chef.
“These events are more than just a good time; they build camaraderie and reinforce the culture we’re so proud of,” says Stinnett.
While the older generations are no longer involved in the business, Stinnett still has family working alongside him, and his father still visits the shop nearly every day, he shared.
“I’m very fortunate to have family members contributing in significant ways today. My brother-in-law, Josh Adkins, is part of our leadership team as the head of HR and finance, and my sister, Katie Stinnett, leads our marketing and PR efforts. And my mom…she’s the real boss of everybody,” Stinnett joked.
At the end of the day, he says, it’s a focus on people, relationships, and innovation that drives everything the team does.
“Having the right people around you, particularly those who align with your values and vision, is key to long-term success. Building a strong leadership team is essential for growing and sustaining any business.”
Work environment is incredibly important, too, Stinnett says.
“We’ve invested in top-of-the-line equipment, and both of our locations feature clean, well-lit work areas that foster a sense of pride and teamwork. Everyone has each other’s back, and I readily encourage suggestions from our team on anything and everything.”
Stinnett is “all about” challenging and refining processes to find what works best, and he is an active member of the Tennessee Collision Repairers Association (TCRA) and Knoxville I-CAR committee.
“I can’t say enough about how valuable the TCRA has been for me and our business. I truly attribute a lot of our success to the support and resources provided by them. The classes they offer and the relationships we’ve built through the association have been invaluable.”
He’s been so helped by the group, in fact, that he regularly recommends that shop owners join their own state associations.
“Even if you don’t have immediate business needs, you’ll make great friends and build lasting relationships that will pay off in the long run.”
