Accelerate Automotive’s Ange Wall is ensuring her customers’ enjoy an experience, not just a transaction, while fostering the best in her team

Ange Wall was born in Adelaide, but thanks to her dad’s Defence Force career, she had lived in all three Eastern states of Australia by the age of nine, before her family finally settled in sunny Queensland.
The journey to settling on her career direction was equally as winding, explains Ange.
“It was more of a scenic route than a straight highway,” she says.
“I loved my project management roles, working with a teams of various sizes, before becoming a workshop owner, but creating something of our own from the ground up — now that’s been the ride of a lifetime.”
A lifelong interest of cars was sharpened when Ange met her husband.
“I was always into good-looking cars, sure – who isn’t? But it wasn’t until I met my now-husband that I learned there was more to cars than shiny paint and a good radio,” she laughed.
“These days I can talk diagnostics, compression ratios, and timing belts with the best of them (but only after coffee).”
Ange’s career started out at the checkout of Franklins Big Fresh.
“From Franklins I went to Woolies where I moved from the checkout to Customer Service Manager, where I learned how to deal with people from every walk of life,” Ange said.
“Then came a leap into the Queensland Government, where I worked on major projects from accrual accounting transitions to state budgets, events for the Premier, and ICT and IT resource management.”
In the early 2000s, the next chapter for Ange began with the establishment of Accelerate Auto.
“My husband wanted to open a workshop. It all began in 2004 in a shed in our backyard, of course – because where else do great workshop stories begin?!
“I was helping with the bookkeeping at that point and I love trailing things to see if it’s the right decision, so starting with minimal overheads sounded like a safe way to try having an automotive business.
“In 2007, we went all in and opened the workshop with a close friend and I thought, ‘Sure, I’ll help out for a year.’ That was 18 years ago! How time flies,” she smiles.
“Two cars in the driveway turned into a full car park, and it has been full to double parked ever since.
“We have grown from two mechanics to a team of nine, and from ‘do everything’ to ‘do what we do best’ – concentrating now on European vehicle servicing as our bread and butter with 4x4s our ‘weekend love affair turned weekday speciality.’
“Taking on only work that we are experts in meansour customers get the best every time.
“We’ve grown smart – not just big – from streamlining our services, refining our customer experience, and building a team that is aligned to our values.
“And with my ops brain and project background, we’ve systemised the business, built a cracker of a team, and turned customer service into a true experience, not just a transaction.
“We’re not just fixing cars; we’re building relationships. Our service process is systemised to the minute, our communication is transparent, and our culture is one our team loves being part of – and that flows straight to the customer.”

In line with her valuing of team work, Ange – the Business Manager for Accelerate Automotive – says there is no need to do things alone when looking to get into workshop ownership.
“There’s a whole village of people out there willing to support you (and not just on Facebook),” she advises.
“Join Automotive associations and communities that support independent repair shop owners. Find your people, lean into the community, and learn from those who have walked the path already and ‘truly’ understand what it is like to be a workshop owner – people that understand the phrase, ‘ever since my service,’…those who know, will know what this means.”
With Ange known for creating and executing new ideas and also highly regarded for her ability to “see the unseen” – finding the potential in others (her team) and taking great joy in taking them on a journey of self-discovery and growth – it is no surprise that a driving force behind Accelerate Automotive’s success can be found in its willingness to do things differently.
“Switching to a four-day work week has been a game changer for us, and not just for us, but for our team,” she said.
“Being able to offer a lifestyle balance for not only us but also our team as well is very rewarding. We made the shift together, and the results speak for themselves – a happy team and a thriving business.
“We thought our customers wouldn’t support the reduced days, but instead, they’re our biggest cheerleaders as we are willing to be different and have a balance between work and life.
“When it comes to decisions we got right, the second I would point to is our growing of the team so I could step sideways into other passions; it has been the best move for the business and for me.
“For us, our competitive advantage is our expertise, our people, and our process. When you support your team properly, they support your customers in ways that go beyond just ‘service with a smile.’
“Being willing to do things differently, whether that is saying no to work that doesn’t align with our strengths even when the phones might be quieter, investing in systems, or shifting to a four-day work week, has sometimes felt uncomfortable, but we have been greatly supported in our decisions to back ourselves and are forever grateful.
“When it comes to things we have learnt from, hiring too quickly when the applicant pool was thin definitely saw us learn a lesson, and that is, desperate hiring equals awkward regrets! Culture fit is everything.”
Looking forward, Ange has her eye on the continued challenge of well-managed growth.
“Balancing growth while staying true to our identity and continuing to educate customers in an ever-changing industry is definitely an ever-present challenge,” she said.
“We will continue leaning into smart technology, better processes, and customer education.
“I love to systemise and optimise, but not for the sake of it. If it can save time or solve problems, then I love the challenge!
“From a marketing perspective, we want to continually help our customers understand why we do what we do – and why it matters to them.
“Being open to embracing new technologies such as AI will also be important.”

Outside of Accelerate Automotive, Ange plays an important role as part of the steering committee for AAAAWomen.
“I’m all about creating environments where people feel safe, supported, and connected, especially women in male-dominated spaces,” Ange explains.
“Through AAAAWomen, I get to combine my love of community-building with my background in operations and mentoring.
“It is not about ticking a box, it is about real connection, strong genuine relationships, and making sure no one feels like they have to be on this journey alone.
“We’ve recently launched the Women’s Connection Circles and the response has been phenomenal, with real conversations, and real support.
“We also recently hosted the ‘How a Car Works’ night in Victoria – think: car basics without the condescension (click here for more on that event) – and we are looking to take it to Sydney later this year.
“There’s plenty more coming too, and we can’t wait to share.”
Accelerate Automotive is also a member of the AAAA.
“To us, the AAAA is like Swiss Army knife for workshop owners – it offers legal advice, HR support, industry data, training, networking, and now, through the Women’s Connection Circles, meaningful peer-to-peer support. It has been a huge value-add for us,” Ange says when asked what benefits her workshop enjoys from their membership in the Association.
In her downtime, family and indulging her love for 4×4 adventures, camping, jet skiing, and “going where the bitumen ends” is key.
“Our family is a tight little unit of four humans, and two fur babies. I had my kids young, and while juggling babies and a full-time job wasn’t easy, it has shaped everything about how I show up today,” Ange says.
“We’re super close, still hang out regularly, and board game night is serious business when the kids come home to visit!”

To learn more about Accelerate Automotive, visit www.accelerateauto.com