Meet the Team
ED SCHAEFFER – OWNER
Ed Schaeffer has been working on cars since he was 13 years old. He holds certifications as a Master Automobile Technician, Advanced Diagnostic Specialist, Service Consultant, and Accredited Automotive Manager. He has served on the Board of Directors as Treasurer and as President of the Automotive Service Association of Greater Kansas City. He has also served on various industry and educational advisory boards.
His professional career began on the dealership side of the industry in the positions of Warranty Manager, Parts Manager, and Service Manager in dealerships that sold and serviced Triumph, MG, Jaguar, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz automobiles. After several years of working for dealers, Ed felt that he was not able to service his customers the way he wanted to because of the constraints placed on him by his employers, so he decided to go out on his own.
Northtown Auto Clinic began with the purchase of Northtown Skelly Service by Ed in February, 1982. He quickly out-grew the three bay gas station he was in and by July of 1985 had built the original six bay building at our current location. This building was expanded to its current ten bay configuration in 2002.
Ed also spent several years investigating car fires, car theft, and car accidents for several insurance companies and 2 county District Attorneys and testified as an Expert Witness in those matters.
Ed has been married to Karla for over 25 years and they have two children: Anna (age 21) and Michael (age 18). After more than 33 years, Ed is on-site daily and takes an active part in the everyday operation of Northtown Auto Clinic.
In his spare time, Ed enjoys bicycling, computers, woodworking, and playing with his dogs, Sophie and Verdelle.
Bret Crawford – Service Manager
Bret graduated from Baily Technical School in 1983 and has been with Northtown Auto Clinic ever since (over 30 years!!). Being at the service counter daily, Bret is the most familiar face at Northtown Auto Clinic. Bret holds ASE Certifications as a Master Technician and Service Consultant.
Bret is single and lives with his dog, Shadow. He has a passion for boating and is an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan. Bret is also very involved with his church and volunteers every month for the Harvesters Food Drive in the Northland as well as the Convoy of Hope in the inner city.
Erin Hall – Service Advisor and Marketing Assistant
Erin has been on the Northtown Auto Clinic team since 2014. Erin graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2012 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Art History and joins us as a Service Advisor and Marketing Assistant. She has 3 years’ experience in social media and email marketing, 5 years’ experience with graphic arts, and 8 years’ experience in customer service.
Erin is married to Bryan, with their 2 cats, Oliver Boots and Beau Narrow, and dog, Mercedes Buns. In her free time, Erin enjoys working at a local gallery on the weekends, creating her own artwork, and remodeling her house.
Chris Jones – Master Technician
Chris graduated from Tad Technical School in 1994 and has been with Northtown Auto Clinic since 1998 (except for a 2 year leave to work for Honda). Chris has 19 years’ experience in the automotive industry and holds certifications as a Master Automobile Technician, Advanced Diagnostic Specialist, and Honda Silver Technician.
Chris is married to Tammy, with a daughter Felicia in high school, as well as three adult children, Nick and Dakota and Stephanie. In his spare time, Chris enjoys spoiling his granddaughters, barbequing and riding his Harley.