Ed Petersen’s Vision For Wrench

Consumer frustration is something we have all had to deal with at one point in our life. Certain things come to mind when we think of less than satisfactory consumer experiences. For Wrench CEO, Ed Petersen, it was auto repair services. Does this hit home for you? If so, then I’m sure you will agree that the stigma revolving around the process of dropping your car off at a shop for even the most minimal of services has forever been a negative experience. It is “time consuming, inconvenient and generally a headache” said Ed when describing his own past experiences. This is when Ed realized that the time for change is now. In a world with Uber, Postmates, Amazon, Rover and other services, consumers demand convenience. With the possibilities being limitless, why should it stop with auto services? Ed saw that there was a need in the market, and thus Wrench was born.

Petersen’s vision started with his background in the tech industry. Along with the consumer frustration and the changes in the way services were being provided, Ed also noticed that there were some issues with the automotive industry itself. With over 275,000 independent automotive maintenance and repair shops in the US alone, he recognized that the industry was widely fragmented and consolidation was a need. Petersen believed that there was a better way to solve the problems consumers were facing, all by introducing technology into the world of automotive repair and service. Ed’s mission was then brought to light: to earn trust and deliver the process. Petersen noted that with an industry that already does not have the best track record with trust, he would earn it back by bringing transparency and convenience to the entire process. Introducing technology into the picture allows consumers to get service done at the push of a button on their phones, and with service being performed right in your driveway, transparency and convenience are achieved. Once a level of trust is established, he said the next step is to deliver the process. This requires following through with the promise of quality car care at consumers’ convenience, and this, Ed says, is the DNA of what makes Wrench.

Wrench’s values and culture are what separates it from the competition and what will ultimately allow it to flourish in such a large industry. The core of Wrench’s values are education and learning, as Wrench continuously finds better ways to get things done for customers and for employees. Having a diverse team of skilled technicians, financiers, marketers, etc. helps the team to execute the shared vision of Wrench’s success. Ed says that no complex problem can be solved in isolation, and with a devoted, diverse team, Wrench is ready to reinvent the wheel. Finally, Petersen claims that the “no, no'' mentality is a healthy position that the Wrench team shares, meaning that “no” is never an answer and everyone is excited to figure out new solutions and how to make them better. With Wrench reinventing an industry so immense, Petersen’s goal is to grow Wrench to fit the demands, and as he states, “if we treat our customers really well and execute our business, the world is our oyster”.