St. Peters, Mo.-–Rich Roberts, owner of Roberts Automotive & Tire Service Center Inc., is not bashful about sharing his business philosophy of running a shop--giving good technicians the right tools so they can provide customers the best service possible.

St. Louis--Ribaudo’s Auto Repair, located in the tightly knit Dutchtown neighborhood, has had sustained profitability and growth for more three decades by catering to its customers’ needs, adapting to ever-changing vehicle specs, and backing their service with a “your satisfaction or your money back” guarantee, said Owner Sam Ribaudo.

Caseyville, Ill.--When John McDaniel Jr.’s automotive recycling facility, Black Lane Auto Parts, was almost completely demolished by a tornado several years ago, all that was left was one of five buildings.  A desire to continue the family business that his father, John McDaniel, founded in 1965, was a driving force to rebuild, the younger McDaniel said.

St. Louis–-When Walter Muench immigrated to St. Louis from Germany in 1955, it was natural for him to want to do what he knew best-–fix German automobiles, said his son, Ray Muench.

St. Louis–Mark Dirsa, owner of Auto Evaluators, made the leap in 1993 from a Volvo-loving technician to shop owner, specializing in Volvo and Subaru.  He said that soon after, he realized how many opportunities he was passing up by not diversifying.

Washington, Mo.--Last year, Gary Riechers, owner of Riechers Tire and Auto, said he faced a problem and recognized an opportunity at the same time.  He said his 70-year-old nine-bay tire store on Madison Avenue was turning customers away all too often because the shop couldn’t handle the volume.

St. Louis--Ranken Technical College is leading the charge in St. Louis area in preparing mechanical and collision repair technicians with the skill sets and knowledge required to work on hybrid vehicles.

Marion, Ill.-–A few years ago, said Jeff Mayer, vice president and general manager of Marion Toyota, he knew his dealership was doing well but felt it had outgrown its facility with no room for expansion.

St. Charles, Mo.–First Capitol 4WD/PUR Performance continues to see good business growth despite the mega-trend of motorists trying to achieve the best fuel mileage possible.  “That’s because people often want more out of their driving experience,” Owner Kevin Shine said.

Wentzville, Mo.--When Fred McGinley purchased his first muffler shop, Fair Muffler of St. Charles, in 1994, something out of the ordinary occurred. McGinley, an accountant, said he did not have an industry background but that he wanted to buy a business with good cash flow, and Fair Muffler in St. Charles was just that.

St. Louis--Sidney Gay, manager of Sales Training for Tenneco Automotive, conducted a 45 minute seminar on the importance of good shock absorbers and struts for the Ride and Drive event on Sept. 22 in St. Louis.

St. Charles, Mo.-–Scott Rhodes, owner of Rhodes Engines, said a main focus on engine installations has served him well in the midst of the rapidly-changing automotive industry. 

St. Charles, Mo.—Repair shop owners and personnel attending the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Missouri’s (AASP-MO) Excel Trade Show & Training Conference packed the Win-Win Negotiations workshop.

St. Louis-–Otto “Data” Ross, service writer and assistant manager at Gateway Tire & Car Care Center, said he, along with Owner David Quest, have developed some key principles for building a profitable car care center just north of downtown St. Louis.

Margie Seyfer addresses attendees about the importance of a positive attitude and its projection on customers at the 28th annual Excel Trade Show and Training Conference on Sept. 19. 

Wentzville, Mo.--H&S Tire & Auto, nestled in downtown Wentzville for 32 years, has always enjoyed strong business from loyal local customers.  But nine years ago, developers began building lots of new homes and big box shopping centers between the city and nearby Interstate 70, said Owner Scott Firebaugh.

Mini of St. Louis offers maintenance tips to more than 100 car owners at fall car clinic.

St. Louis–One silver lining during this recession has been that drivers are spending more to maintain their vehicles so they can keep them longer. Yet, for John LaClair, who owns Bavarian Enterprises with wife Cynthia, said their volume has grown enough recently to open a second location in December.

AASP-MO Gateway Collision Chapter members gather for Toys for Tots

St. Peters, Mo.—Spencer Creek Auto Repair is a thriving shop owned by Melvin McBride, now in its 31st year. His customers seldom deal with him. That’s because, in this three-man shop, Melvin is one of the two ASE Certified techs. “I realized when I went into business years ago that I didn’t want to run the front end of the business and wasn’t very good at it anyway,” he says. “What I really wanted to do is work on vehicles.”

St. Peters, Mo.—Boxes are still being unpacked and some inventory hasn’t yet been put on the shelves at Century Tool & Equipment after its move to a new, larger office and warehouse space in St. Peters, Mo. Yet David Loika, the sole proprietor of the diversified automotive tools and equipment distributor, unabashedly describes his 10-year-old company as not only growing but still small and not like many others in the same business.

Calhoun Collision Center of Hardin, Ill., also operated by Steve and Valerie White, surprised Jeannette Johnson of Kampsville, Ill., with a 2000 Dodge Stratus on Dec. 9.  The car giveaway is part of White Auto Body’s Benevolence Program. 

Highland, Ill.—Keith Frank said he has been a believer in three building blocks for a successful automotive service shop since opening Keith’s Automotive Center in 1984.

St. Louis--Learning automotive service was once a matter of working at a garage with on-the-job training when vehicles were much simpler back then. Now techs have to know how to deal with complex systems using sophisticated tools and processes for diagnosing and repairing more makes and models, so education is crucial.

Representatives from Ranken Technical College and Carstar celebrated the launch of a state-of-the-art classroom with a ribbon-cutting on Jan. 28. The new Carstar classroom was created as part of a five-year partnership between the Metro St. Louis Carstar Business Group and Ranken Technical College that will also include a donation of $35,000 from Carstar. “We look forward to a long partnership to help train highly- skilled technicians for the future,” said Kerry Woodson II, St. Louis Carstar’s Group representative.