When Tom Sciortino first opened Total Automotive, the Tonawanda, NY, shop had only two lifts housed in a 2,500-sq.-ft. building. That was 1986. In 1999, Tom moved operations to a new building that doubled the amount of interior space to allow for six lifts. But the growth didn’t stop there.
While C&M Auto Service has a strong customer base that has been loyal to the shop since it opened in 1984, shop owner Chuck Hartogh says things have changed when it comes to attracting new patrons.
People don’t always end up following in a parent’s footsteps, but when it comes to the auto repair industry, sometimes oil just seems to be in one’s blood. Take Andy Massoll, a second-generation shop owner who grew up working around Curt’s Service Inc. in Oak Park, MI, before deciding to make a career of it – a very successful career if expansion into additional markets is any indication.
When people refer to you and your staff as “the car guys,” you know you’ve gone above and beyond as a repair shop. That’s exactly how repeat customers think of shop owner Scott Brown and his crew at Cardinal Plaza Shell in Springfield, VA.
When you’ve been in the industry as long as Chris Atwood, you pick up a thing or two about running a successful independent automotive repair shop – especially when you got your start pushing a broom rather than turning wrenches.
No job is too big – or too small – for John’s Automotive Care. Whether it’s performing driveability diagnostics on a fleet vehicle, or simply changing a light bulb on a customer’s car, owner John Eppstein says the staff always gives 100 percent.
When VJ Sabanayagam and his wife opened a single-bay independent repair shop in Monrovia, CA, in 1997, they had no idea how quickly their small business would grow. In addition to routine maintenance, repairs and electrical diagnostics, VJ’s is also a factory-certified sales and service center for Onan generators and Blue Ox tow equipment, commonly found in recreational vehicles.
Turn on the radio in Canton, OH, and you’re bound to hear a commercial for Hills & Dales AutoCare. And the first thing you’ll notice is a young girl’s voice sharing what makes the shop unique. That voice belongs to shop owner Marty Long’s 14-year-old daughter, who has been recording the shop’s radio spots for the past six or seven years.
If you had told Chris Cloutier six years ago that he would be running a successful auto repair business with his brother, Patrick, he would have laughed. But that’s exactly what happened when they decided to buy an existing shop in Rowlett, TX – off of Craigslist no less – and turn it into Golden Rule Auto Care.
A fifth-generation family-owned business, Pickering’s Auto Service boasts a 40-year legacy of quality, customer service-oriented repairs in Lakewood and Arvada, CO. But even with that heritage, Marketing Director Taylor Pickering explains that they are always looking for ways to improve, whether it’s a new customer service program, new technician training or updating the shop’s website.
Since its inception more than 20 years ago, Dynamic Automotive has always been about more than just repairing vehicles. With three locations in the Frederick, MD, area, the shop’s owners, Dwayne Myers, Lee Forman and Jose Bueso have chosen to give back to customers and the community alike through education.
Twenty years after its inception, Mobile Service & Repair Co. is still going strong in Wadsworth, OH. But when Frank Dannemiller started the business out of his garage in 1995, he had no idea what obstacles he would have to overcome.
