Our Story - Crutcher's Auto Repair

CHAPTER 1 OF 6: ROOTS IN FRANKLIN

My father, Milton Crutcher, grew up helping his siblings care for their widowed mother, learning early what family and hard work truly mean. By the 1960s, as a teenager, he began working on cars, and by the 1970s, he had become Franklin’s trusted technician, repairing vehicles with skill and reliability. The community trusted him to keep them moving and treat them fairly. This laid the groundwork for Crutcher’s, a dream born on Columbia Avenue in downtown Franklin. That commitment to people-first service still drives us today.

CHAPTER 2 OF 6: A NEW DIRECTION

After becoming Franklin’s Trusted technician in the 70s, Dad was working weekdays at the service station but both community demand and a desire to provide for our family led to him working weekends on his own.

By 1980, supported by my mom, Brenda, Dad took a chance and founded Crutcher’s Auto Repair. No shop, just a 1970s Chevy Cube Van. His mission was simple: work hard, be honest, and treat people right.

That summer, at 7 years old, I had my first job. By helping Dad fetch tools and parts from the van, it let him stay focused on the vehicle. I had no idea then, but those long summer days were shaping the future of our family’s business.

As winter approached, Dad had to find a warmer place to keep the dream alive...

CHAPTER 3 OF 6: OUR FIRST SHOP

After years of serving the Franklin community, Dad took a chance

and started Crutcher’s as a mobile mechanic in the summer of 1980.

The business grew quickly, but as cold weather and more jobs rolled in,

the van just wasn’t going to cut it. Looking for shelter and stability,

he moved into a small garage tucked beside a neighborhood market on

N. Petway in Franklin in late fall 1980. Word of his honest work spread

fast, and with the steady support of the community, it wasn’t long

before both Dad and that little shop were running at full capacity.