About Us
History of Randall Automotive
Randall Automotive originated in 1995 when the previous owner and founder, Steve Wentworth, purchased three local Precision Tune franchises. In the late 1990’s, Steve made the decision to move away from the dedicated tune up shop and expand into a more generalized auto repair business model. He consolidated the personnel and equipment from the original three locations down to the Martin Luther King and Kalamazoo Street stores and changed the company name to Randall Automotive, in reference to one of Steve’s family members. By the early 2000’s, the shops were running smoothly enough that Steve was able to manage the business from home, entrusting the day to day operations to the shop managers. Steve indicated his desire to retire in late 2010 and plans were put in motion for the two shops to be sold individually to their respective managers. The sale of the Martin Luther King shop was finalized in January of 2013 and included retaining the business name. The Kalamazoo location was sold later in the year and continued operation under a new name.
Staff
Randall Automotive truly is a family business. Craig Fountain is the Owner and the ASE Master Certified Lead Technician. He co-owns the business with his wife, Lori, who handles personnel and human resource duties. Longtime family friend, Debbie Holcom, is the Office Manager/Service advisor, who handles the day-to-day front of the shop operations. Technician, Derek Brough, is the newest member of the Randall Automotive team.
Craig started in 1988 as a lube technician at the East Lansing Precision Tune franchise. Craig worked summers as well as part time through high school and college while attending Michigan Technological University. He started full time in 1993 at the former Grand River Precision Tune which moved to become the Kalamazoo Street Randall Automotive. Shortly after the move, Craig transitioned into an assistant manager role spending time between both the Kalamazoo and MLK locations. Craig assumed the shop manager role exclusively at the MLK location in 2000. In January 2013, Craig moved into the ownership role when he purchased the assets of the MLK location. Craig has been married to his wife, Lori, since 1997 and they have 2 children, Abrielle and Makenna. In addition to working on cars, he enjoys spending time with his family traveling, camping, and drag racing his highly modified 1972 Nova.
Debbie started with Randall Automotive part-time in the fall of 2022. She moved into her current full-time position as the primary point of contact in the front office at the beginning of 2023. She brings many years of customer service experience to her role as the Office Manager/Service Advisor. Her friendly, easy-going personality is reassuring to those that may be apprehensive about an unexpected vehicle repair. In her spare, time Debbie enjoys camping with her husband, Ron, and spending time with their English Mastiff, Maize. She also plays league steel tip darts on a team with Craig, Lori, and Ron. Debbie and Ron are also the modern-day Brady Bunch: between them they have six children and eleven grandchildren.
Derek is the newest member of Randall Automotive, joining the team as an Automotive Technician in early 2023. Early in his career, Derek earned his Associates degree in Automotive Technology from Washtenaw Community College. He has gained experience in the industry working as a lube tech and by performing mechanical repairs in an autobody setting. Derek looks forward to becoming a Master Certified Technician as well as earning ASE certification.
