As Fritz Kreutzinger’s business has grown, so too has his town
By Dan Domsic
When Fritz Kreutzinger rolled up his sleeves and drove his business, Fritz in Fishers, into town, only 2,000 people occupied the quiet patch of land.
That was more than 30 years ago.
“It was just coincidental that I landed up here and that was the piece of property that we had,” Kreutzinger said. “(The business and Fishers) kind of grew up together.”
His used automobile lot sits across the street from its original site, now occupied by the train station that holds the Fishers Chamber of Commerce and court.
That was more than 20 years ago.
Fishers has changed a lot throughout the years, and Kreutzinger’s business has seen a lot of change since its birth as well.
“He’s seen the town develop from humble beginnings,” Scott Faultless, town councilor, said.
But Fritz said the bottom line for the business is still all about having a good product and customer service and the reputation that goes with it.
And he’s not planning on going anywhere.
Small beginnings
Kreutzinger grew up with a father in the car and gasoline industry, a gas station owner.
He spent time as a kid cleaning up cars at the gas station and helping out.
While studying at Purdue University, Kreutzinger’s father passed away, and when he finished his economics degree, he got into the auto sales industry to continue doing what he knew.
Kreutzinger said Bob Butler gave him a shot at working sales at Butler Toyota after graduation.
After a few years at the dealership, Kreutzinger started his business with just two cars.
It all started out as Fritz Associates, but for a small business in a tiny town, name and place recognition was needed. So, Fritz in Fishers was born.
Today, the business has two locations (the second being in Noblesville) and about $1.5 million in inventory.
“We set out to build a business with the long term in mind and succeeded,” Kreutzinger said.
Along the way, his son and nephew both joined the family business, sticking around as the cars come and go.
A car collector, Kreutzinger said one of his favorite parts of the gig is actually purchasing cars for the lot, which is becoming difficult to do as the supply of used cars shrinks.
No particular car sticks out to him as an extraordinary buy. However, the cars he always remembers are the ones that slipped through or out of, his fingers.
He once passed up buying a Lamborghini Miura for $30,000. According to Kreutzinger, that car is now valued at $600-700,000.
In 1981, Kreutzinger sold a Ferrari for $4,500. Today, it’s worth about $145,000.
More than dollars
Cars get away, but Kreutzinger plans on keeping Fritz in Fishers right where it is.
“We’re glad to see what’s going on in the town,” Kreutzinger said. “We have no intentions of evacuating just because the town is talking about doing what they’re going to do (referring to the town’s downtown plans). If anything, we’d like to enjoy some of the growth that’ll come with that because we’ve paid our dues for 30 years.”
A community fixture, Kreutzinger stays involved in local affairs through Fall Creek Township’s Board of Zoning Appeals, and the occasional appearance in front of the Fishers Town Council.
Last year, he protested a change to 116th Street that made a U-turn the method for turning into the site for the future St. George Orthodox Church, near his home.
He showed up with visual aides to make a point, but ultimately, the change was approved by the council.
“Whether your opinion is right or wrong, it still is an opinion that needs to be heard,” he said, “And it needs to be heard in an open forum, not necessarily in a blog or after the fact. You better make your point when the time’s right instead of crying about it later on.”
Faultless said his contributions to the discourse made “substantial improvements to the final plan” possible.
Outside of the Town of Fishers, he’s been involved with and holds a leadership position with the Indiana Independent Auto Dealers Association – a group he helped form – as well as a national arm of it.
And it all It started with just two cars.
Meet Fritz Kreutzinger
Age: 61
Family: In a relationship with Sharon Brennan; son, Kyle
Favorite hobby: Collecting antique wooden boats and antique cars
Church: Holy Spirit at Geist
Cause: Boy Scouts of America