Doug McAllister

With nearly five decades in the automotive industry, Doug McAllister brings a legacy of service, leadership, and faith-driven impact to Shop Fix Academy. His journey began in 1975 at a full-service Amoco station, pumping gas and learning the ropes. He soon became a mechanic, then manager, and spent 14 years building a strong foundation in shop operations.

In 1988, Doug joined Willow Creek Community Church, where he managed their automotive department and launched CARS (Christian Auto Repairmen Serving), a volunteer ministry dedicated to repairing and providing vehicles for disadvantaged members of the church community.

In 1993, Doug and his wife Janet opened Douglas Automotive in Barrington, IL — a true start-from-scratch shop. They grew the business to $1 million in annual sales within five years, expanded to Crystal Lake in 1998, and opened a third location in Fox River Grove in 2015. Though he’d worked with other coaching companies, it was joining Shop Fix in 2018 that changed everything.

In 2020, his best year ever at $4.4 million in revenue, Doug sold the company. Thanks to the systems and leadership skills he developed through Shop Fix, the sale exceeded expectations. He stayed on with the new ownership group as a District Manager until June 2023, before officially retiring.

But Doug felt a deeper calling. In February 2025, he returned to Shop Fix — not as a client, but as a coach, committed to pouring into others the way others once poured into him. Now, Doug helps shop owners grow with clarity, integrity, and purpose, sharing not only what he knows, but who he is.