Schmidts Auto

What Schmidts Auto does

Schmidt's Auto Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned automotive services company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, founded in 1937 by Norbert Schmidt. The company operates a diversified portfolio spanning light, medium, and heavy duty towing, 24/7 emergency roadside assistance, a parts and service center, and a 27-acre salvage yard that is the largest in Dane County. It serves stranded motorists, 18 municipalities (including its long-standing incumbent role as the City of Madison's first towing vendor since 1962), motor clubs and insurance companies (GEICO, Allstate, Tesla, AAA Wisconsin, Urgently, QuestX, Gerber, Nation Safe Drivers), local dealerships, and mechanic shops. The company employs 11-50 staff and operates a fleet of 30 trucks across two towing depots, one parts and service center, and one salvage yard.

The company's underlying technology consists of a digital dispatch system with real-time customer updates, an online tow request form, online invoice payment via Square, and a vehicle tracking feature ("Where's My Car?"). Fleet innovation includes a 2008 partnership with Cummins Engines that brought zero-emission diesel technology to all trucks, and the 2010 introduction of "Sparky," an all-electric Columbia ParCar vehicle used for light duty services in downtown Madison. The company holds all required state and federal licenses for towing, hauling, salvaging, and dealer sales, and maintains an A+ BBB rating.

Schmidt's revenue model is predominantly transactional. Towing is priced per service with standard in-town pre-scheduled tows starting at $140 plus tax and additional charges for accidents, emergency calls, and difficult retrieval; non-emergency roadside assistance ranges from $85-$105. Supplemental revenue comes from used automotive parts sales (engines, transmissions, brakes, tires, etc.), per-service fees at the parts and service center (tires, oil changes, batteries, engine installation), and salvage vehicle purchases with free towing throughout Greater Madison. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via 24/7 phone dispatch and online request forms, with business accounts for municipalities, insurance companies, dealerships, and motor clubs. Pricing is publicly disclosed on the website.

Name

Schmidts Auto

Legal name

Schmidt's Auto Inc.

Website

https://schmidtsauto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schmidt's Auto Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned automotive services company in Madison, Wisconsin, offering 24/7 towing, roadside assistance, parts and service, and salvage yard operations across Dane County. It serves individual consumers, 18 municipalities, motor clubs, and insurance companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Towing & Roadside Assistance Services

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Towing (48841), Automotive Repair and Maintenance (8111)

SIC

Services-Automotive Repair, Services & Parking (7500), Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600)

akta.pro primary industry

Towing, Recovery & Vehicle Removal Services (TLAJAJAC)

Keywords

• Towing services
• Roadside assistance
• Vehicle recovery
• Used auto parts
• Auto salvage yard

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Towing Services: Per-service towing charges for light, medium, and heavy duty vehicles. Standard in-town pre-scheduled tow starts at $140 plus tax. Additional charges apply for accidents, emergency towing, difficult retrieval, clean-up.
2. Roadside Assistance: Non-emergency roadside services including unlocks, tire changes, battery, jumpstarts. Fees range between $85-$105.
3. Used Automotive Parts Sales: Sale of reusable parts from salvaged vehicles including starters, tires/wheels, engines, transmissions, mirrors, doors/fenders, brakes, switches.
4. Vehicle Salvage/Recycling: Purchase of end-of-life vehicles for salvage. Free towing throughout Greater Madison area. Same-day payment for salvage vehicles.
5. Automotive Service Center: Service center offering tires, oil changes, batteries, engine installation, and alternators. Located off Beltline in Madison.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Schmidt's Auto provides 24/7 towing and emergency roadside assistance for light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles across Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin. The company also operates a Parts & Service Center for automotive repairs, a 27-acre salvage yard selling reusable used auto parts, and end-of-life vehicle purchasing with free towing in the Greater Madison area.

Product overview

Schmidt's Auto operates as a diversified automotive services company offering a unified portfolio of towing, roadside assistance, parts, and salvage services. The core offering spans three towing tiers (Light Duty, Medium Duty, Heavy Duty) differentiated by vehicle weight capacity, supported by 24/7 emergency roadside assistance for unlocks, jumpstarts, tire changes, and battery services. The company runs a Parts & Service Center providing repairs and recycled automotive components (engines, transmissions, brakes, tires), alongside one of Dane County's largest salvage yards spanning 27+ acres. Digital add-ons include an online tow request form, online payment processing via Square, and a vehicle tracking feature ('Where's My Car?'). An electric neighborhood service vehicle called 'Sparky' handles light-duty calls in the downtown area. The company holds an A+ BBB rating and serves municipalities, insurance companies, motor clubs, and the general public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Schmidt's Goes Green: Environmental initiative showcasing the company's commitment to low emissions and sustainable practices, including electric vehicle 'Sparky' and zero emission truck fleet.

Products and services

• Light Duty Towing Light-duty towing and roadside assistance services for passenger vehicles, including unlocks, tire changes, tows, and jumpstarts, delivered via a fleet of light-duty service trucks.
• Medium Duty Towing Medium-duty towing services for vehicles 9,000 to 22,000 lbs, including fleet vehicles, delivery trucks, Class C motorhomes, campers, bobcats, skidloaders, backhoes, and box trucks.
• Heavy Duty Towing & Recovery Heavy-duty rescue and recovery services including accident recovery, rollover services, winch-outs, deck/undecking, tractor trailer splitting, Landoll transportation, semi unlocks, and equipment transport.
• Emergency Roadside Assistance 24/7 roadside services including tire changes, unlocks, jumpstarts, battery replacement, and winch-outs, available on demand or by appointment for stranded motorists.
• Used Automotive Parts Aftermarket and recycled automotive parts including starters, tires/wheels, engines, transmissions, mirrors, doors/fenders, brakes, and switches, sourced from the company's 27-acre salvage yard.
• Parts & Service Center Full-service automotive repair and maintenance at the 2121 Fish Hatchery Rd, Madison location, offering tires, oil changes, batteries, engine installation, and alternators.
• Salvage Yard Services Vehicle salvage and recycling operations on 27+ acres with tens of thousands of late-model vehicles. Offers salvage vehicle purchase with free towing throughout Greater Madison area and same-day payment.
• Sparky Electric Service Vehicle Battery-operated light-duty neighborhood service vehicle for the downtown area, providing battery replacements, jump-starts, lock-outs and tire changes for motor club customers as part of Schmidt's zero-emission service initiative.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero emission fleet - all trucks operate with zero emissions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GEICOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMotor club partner providing roadside assistance services to GEICO policyholders.
• AllstatecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMotor club partner providing roadside assistance services to Allstate customers.
• QuestXcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMotor club partner for roadside assistance services.
• Gerber National ClaimscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMotor club partner providing claims-related roadside assistance services.
• TeslacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMotor club partner for roadside assistance services for Tesla vehicles.
• Urgently Roadside AssistancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMotor club partner providing digital roadside assistance platform integration.
• Nation Safe DriverscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMotor club partner for roadside assistance services.
• AAA WisconsincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAAA Wisconsin contracted Schmidt's to provide light duty service calls including battery replacements, jump-starts, lock-outs and tire changes using their electric vehicle Sparky. AAA has been encouraging contractors to migrate to light service vehicles.
• Cummins EnginescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2008, partnered with Cummins Engines to pilot zero emission diesel engine technology. Today all Schmidt's trucks operate with zero emissions.
• Ozee CarsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal dealer for Columbia ParCar where Sparky was purchased.
• Wisconsin Towing AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership for towing operators in Wisconsin.
• Towing and Recovery Association of AmericaminorOthersNational industry association membership for towing and recovery professionals.
• Local DealershipscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with local dealerships for vehicle transportation and recovery services.
• Mechanic ShopscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with local mechanic shops for used parts sourcing and automotive services.
• City of MadisoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst towing vendor for City of Madison since 1962. Provides municipal towing, recovery, and roadside services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Pep Boys:
• LKQ Corporation: LKQ Corporation is the largest North American distributor of recycled, remanufactured, and aftermarket auto parts. It operates salvage yards and recycled-parts distribution networks that overlap directly with Schmidt's Parts & Service Center and salvage yard business, but at national scale across multiple recycled-parts categories.
• Allstate Roadside Services: Allstate Roadside Services is the in-house roadside offering of Allstate Insurance, dispatching a national network of tow operators for its policyholders. Allstate is a Schmidt's motor club partner, but the broader Allstate Roadside Services division competes for the same insured-driver demand pool across the country.

Direct peers

• Copart: Copart operates one of the largest salvage-vehicle auction networks in North America, buying end-of-life and total-loss vehicles and reselling them to dismantlers and consumers. Schmidt's 27-acre salvage yard competes for the same salvage supply pool and serves overlapping demand for recycled vehicles and parts, albeit via direct-purchase model instead of auction.
• Pull-A-Part: Pull-A-Part operates a national chain of self-service used auto parts yards, selling parts from end-of-life vehicles. Its business model and parts inventory directly overlap with Schmidt's salvage yard and recycled-parts sales operations, though Pull-A-Part focuses on self-service retail versus Schmidt's full-service and dealer channels.
• Agero: Agero is a leading white-label roadside assistance platform serving insurance carriers, OEMs, and motor clubs, dispatching tow operators on their behalf. It competes with Schmidt's direct B2B roadside services by aggregating demand through digital platforms, and serves overlapping insurance and motor club customers.
• Urgently: Urgently is a digital roadside assistance platform that connects stranded motorists to tow operators via mobile app, and is one of Schmidt's named motor club partners. It competes with traditional tow operators for direct-to-consumer volume and represents the digital-disruption vector in roadside assistance.
• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions, now part of RB Global): IAA is a major salvage-vehicle auction operator acquired by RB Global, serving insurance carriers and total-loss vehicle buyers. It competes with Schmidt's salvage yard for end-of-life vehicle inventory and shares the same supply sources (insurers, individual owners, municipalities).

Emerging players

• Honk: Honk is an on-demand roadside assistance app that connects drivers to nearby service providers for towing, jump-starts, and lockouts. It targets the same consumer roadside-assistance segment as Schmidt's direct-to-consumer business and represents an emerging digital-first competitor in the space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schmidts Auto