L&M Auto Repair first opened its doors in 1967 as a general auto repair facility under Leon (“L”) and Marge (“M”) Woods, who called the shop L&M Shocks & Trailer Hitches. The Woods family provided excellent automotive services to the Wichita community for nearly three decades, until they decided to retire. They sold the shop to Howard and Betty Marquis in 1995. Howard had worked in the shop since its opening, and he and Betty continued L&M’s tradition of offering quality auto repair to Wichita drivers.
By continuing a tradition of auto repair excellence, we’re moving the past into the present.
Caleb Shrout came on the scene about 20 years ago, when he started working for Howard as a teenager. His passion for vehicles started at a very young age, with his first real “build”—a 1954 F100, which he not only still has, but continues to use as his daily driver! While on summer breaks from college, Caleb continued to work for L&M, and during the school months, he would fix vehicles for other students in the parking lot on campus. He called his business 5ive 4 Auto after his beloved 1954 F100.
Toward the end of college, Caleb realized he wanted to give running his own automotive business a shot, and his passion for vehicles was (and continues to be) the driving force to make that happen! After earning his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and marrying his wife, Erin, the couple moved back to Wichita to buy L&M. (Howard was very happy to pass on the shop, knowing it would be in good hands. And he could finally retire!) On September 20, 2006, Caleb’s dream became a reality when the Shrout family became L&M’s sole owners.