Pickup Truck Smashes into Lobby of Repair Shop

An out-of-control Ford Ranger crashed into the lobby of Minnick’s Auto Repair and Towing in Winchester, VA, on Wednesday. No one was injured, but damage to the shop was significant. A sign on the window of the shop’s service bay instructed customers to “give a shout into the open wall” for service.

Below is the article as it appeared on the Northern Virginia Daily website.

Car crashes into auto repair shop

February 10, 2011

A pickup crashed into the wall at Minnick’s Auto Repair and Towing on Cecil Street in Winchester on Wednesday morning. No one was injured in the crash. (Dennis Grundman/Daily)

WINCHESTER — A city man was charged with reckless driving Wednesday after crashing a red Ford Ranger into the lobby of a local auto repair shop, city police said.

No one was injured when Brandon E. Henry, 19, of Shawnee Drive, lost control of the truck at about noon and plowed into Minnick’s Auto Repair and Towing, at 32 W. Cecil St., said Winchester police Sgt. Frank Myrtle.

Myrtle said Henry was traveling south on Braddock Street and turned left on Cecil Street before he struck the business at its office entrance.

A damage estimate was unavailable, but the impact to the busy shop was significant.

To read this article on the Northern Virginia Daily website, visit http://www.nvdaily.com/news/2011/02/car-crashes-into-auto-repair-shop.php.

When Your Shop Is Worth Much More Than You Thought

Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.

Case Study: Owner of San Francisco-based Import Service Shop Delighted to Discover Just How Valuable His Business is to Qualified Buyers
I sometimes share case studies of the clients I have been able to assist in my role as an aftermarket business broker and provider of intermediary and advisory services. I do that when I think the story will provide a reader in similar circumstances with new insights or helpful information.
In the case of Cowden Automotive, Inc., I acted in a consulting capacity assisting the owner and his broker in valuing the business, creating a marketing plan, finding a qualified buyer, and arranging financing for the sale.
Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.
Needless to say, delivering that kind of good news to a shop owner is a rewarding experience. Discovering that the sale of his business would result in his retirement nest-egg being substantially larger than he had ever thought was a fitting tribute to someone who had spent his entire working career as a busy automotive service shop owner.

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