Kedrick and Louann Johnson, owners of KLST, Inc., which owns five Abra locations — Abra Cloquet, Abra Duluth, Abra Elk River, Abra Princeton and Abra Saint Cloud — were honored with the Abra Community Champion award at the Driven Brands U.S. Collision Conference.
The Community Champion award is given in recognition to owners who have gone above and beyond in their community outreach to support a variety of charitable causes and local organizations.
The road to operational excellence first began for Kedrick Johnson when he was working alongside his uncle in the 1960s. He continued to develop his skills until he was drafted in 1965. After returning from military service, he used his entrepreneurial spirit and industry expertise to establish his own auto body shop out of his father’s four-car garage. Stellar customer service and exemplary workmanship fueled success and growth for the Johnsons. As their business grew, so did the support that they provided to their community.
Accepting the award on behalf of his parents was their son, Scott.
“This is a great honor to receive this award,” said Johnson. “My father had his dream of owning his own business and a vision for its success and it has all come together for my family, surrounded by a team of great employees. Our people are just incredible. They make us successful, and they are the true heartbeat of our organization.”
By the early 1980s, sons Scott and Todd began to express their interest in the trade and KLST, Inc. was formed. The family continued to help grow the business and give back to the community, growing along the way. From participating in local uniform sponsorships for trade schools in their area, to hosting free windshield chip clinics, to sponsoring various local charitable golf outings, the KLST, Inc. team places extra emphasis on giving back to their communities. Family is tightly knit into the fabric of Abra, and this family is a perfect example of the importance of that family culture.
The awards were presented at a gala event where Abra, CARSTAR and Fix Auto USA franchise partners gathered to celebrate the inaugural Driven Brands U.S. collision repair joint conference, along with Driven Brands team members, vendors, and industry leaders from across the U.S.
For more information, visit AbraAuto.com.
