Craig Nangle has been a true car enthusiast his entire life, spending his career in the automotive industry. At the beginning of his career in the 1990s, he owned a repair shop, and Nangle eventually retired as an executive at Nissan in 2022. After working his way up, he felt it was time to get back to doing what he loved most: customizing cars. By Kelsi Trinidad
Craig Nangle has been a true car enthusiast his entire life, spending his career in the automotive industry. At the beginning of his career in the 1990s, he owned a repair shop, and Nangle eventually retired as an executive at Nissan in 2022. After working his way up, he felt it was time to get back to doing what he loved most: customizing cars.
“I like to make things go faster, change them and make them perform differently, so that’s what attracted me to this business,” explained Nangle. “Having had several show cars of my own over the years, I did most of the work myself. On rare occasions, I did have to take my car somewhere to do something that I didn’t have the equipment to do, like an emissions test or an alignment. Because I’ve been in the industry, I know not all shops are created equal.”
After considering a handful of automotive franchises in the repair industry, Nangle decided on franchising with Tint World® Automotive Styling Centers™.
“The thing that appealed to me about Tint World was that it was more of an upscale boutique for people that want to do things to their car like customization, upgrades and things that you can’t get done at a regular repair shop or a dealership,” said Nangle. “This was more of the fun stuff because people come in and bring their car repaired because it’s broken. They’re not as friendly or warm to deal with. We bring smiles and happiness because we’re doing something cool to their car that they want right versus something like, ‘My car stopped working.’”
For Nangle, his business is a way to connect with his community in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Throughout his career, he has always sought ways to give back to communities in need and has been a longtime contributor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
St. Jude’s mission resonates with him on a personal level. When traveling out of town to visit family, Nangle’s 18-month-old daughter had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, it wasn’t set up to handle pediatric patients, and she had an adverse reaction to the medication she was given and slipped into a coma. Nangle, his wife and their three other children ended up staying a month in a hotel room while she recovered.
“It really helped me relate to the emotions and the upset to your life that happens when you have a sick child,” said Nangle. “You’re just powerless and can’t do anything. She pulled through in the end, and everything worked out for the better.”
In March, Nangle began partnering with St. Jude’s to donate 10% of window tint proceeds for the rest of the year. This partnership not only gives customers another reason to shop at his store over his competitors, but it also allows him to give back to those going through medical hardships.
Kelsi Trinidad