By Angie Phillips
Growing up in Iola, Kan., Lucille Treganowan never dreamed
she'd end up in the middle of a media blitz that would include
an 18-city book tour and lead to work in Hollywood. Today, it's
part of her daily routine.
As a longtime member of the Automotive Service Association and
owner of Transmissions by Lucille in Pittsburgh, Pa., Treganowan
has been active in the automotive repair industry since the early
1960s. But the 66-year-old grandmother is more in demand today
than ever before, due in part to her automotive repair book, "Lucille's
Car Care: Everything You Need to Know From Under the Hood -- By
America's Most Trusted Mechanic" (Hyperion, 1996).
"My car care book is selling well because it's easy to read,
a little bit fun -- and not technical enough to turn off the average
car owner," Treganowan said.
To promote the book, several book tour appearances were initially
lined up by her publishing company. "After that, things seemed
to snowball," said Treganowan.
Treganowan has been mentioned in an array of publications -- from
People magazine to The Wall Street Journal. And if you combine
the television networks Treganowan has visited, it begins to look
a bit like alphabet soup. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, to name a few,
have all requested her expertise in automotive repair. Perhaps
the most notable event was her appearance on the top-rated sitcom,
"Home Improvement," during a "Tool Time" segment
last October.
"The guest shot on Home Improvement' was a great experience.
It was interesting to watch the development of the segment,"
said Treganowan. "The crew there analyzes and fixes' the
show in a way not unlike how we fix cars."
Being in front of the camera is nothing new to Treganowan. When
she's not visiting the sets of other programs, you might find
her working on her own television show, "Lucille's Car Care
Clinic." Now in its second year, the consumer education program
for men and women airs nationwide on the Home & Garden cable
network, and WQEX in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Treganowan's "overnight" success didn't happen overnight.
She left Kansas to attend an Arizona college and pursue a degree
in English, but later ended up in Pennsylvania working in the
automotive industry. As her career progressed, regular guest appearances
at a local television station led to her own cable program. Publicity
about Treganowan and her show caught the attention of book publishers
at Hyperion, and the book led Treganowan to prime time.
"I think one important fact about my appearance on Tool Time'
was that the show was a Salute to Women and Cars,'" said
Treganowan. She remembers years ago when there were no women in
automotive classes. When Treganowan attended an industry workshop
in 1963, she asked questions, participated and became so involved
in the class that her attendance at the event was covered in an
industry bulletin. Treganowan was so honored when she discovered
her appearance in the publication -- along side one of Chevrolet
Corporation's prominent leaders at the time -- that she placed
a copy in her scrapbook that she still has today. Little did she
know it was only the first of many "appearances" in
her career.
In August 1996, she signed on as a spokesperson for Jiffy Lube,
which involves promotions and commercials. She was attracted to
the offer because it presented a chance to help promote quality
and customer service, two components she has stressed in her own
business since it opened 23 years ago.
When she founded her first shop in 1973, Treganowan vowed to do
two things: pay lots of attention to customers and place an emphasis
on employee motivation.
"No customer ever went away with a question or unhappy,"
said Treganowan. Similar to her customer service guidelines, she
tackled employee training and management with a one-on-one approach.
But as the business grew and the industry changed, so did her
management style. "The change in technology has led to many
other changes, such as the type of people you hire and the type
of training you do," Treganowan said. While her one-on-one
approach helped create the successful business she has today,
she admits she had sort of "built a monster" with her
management style. Everything evolved around Treganowan's personal
involvement.
When she began to experience "burn-out" in 1988, Treganowan
decided to finish a project she had started years earlier -- a
college degree. She attended Chatham College for women and graduated
Magna Cum Laude in 1991. She said going back to school showed
her how to best handle her business at a critical stage in its
growth.
"If you have good intentions and motivation, you can start
your own business," said Treganowan. "But once you reach
a certain level of growth, your business knowledge will determine
if you keep growing or sink."
As she looks to the future, Treganowan's dream is to franchise
a chain of women-managed car clinics for total car care. The clinics
would be geared toward both men and women, "basically, anyone
who owns a vehicle." She has already established a business
plan for the project.
Being involved in so many activities has also helped her learn
to delegate and turn the reigns over to other members of her business,
including her son, Kip, and some "really good" long-term
help.
"Part of my life has been good luck and timing," said
Treganowan. "For instance, right now it's kind of good to
be an older woman with an expertise." In addition to her
book, she recently began writing a column for Underwire, Microsoft's
online magazine geared toward women. Treganowan says she's using
her background in English more than ever.
With her book now in its second printing, Treganowan is busy with
her "second" career. She's definitely not in Kansas
anymore.
Copyright (c) 1996-2009. Automotive Service Association®. All rights reserved.
