Most six year old girls play with Barbie dolls and doll houses. Not this girl. I was at the shop packing bearings with my dad or crawling under our family minivan with him while he changed our oil. I was completely fascinated with how things worked and lucky enough to have an ASE Master Technician for a father.
When I was eight, my dad decided to start his own company—A. Anthony’s Mobile Vehicle Service. He bought a large trailer, outfitted it with all of the tools he had accumulated in his 30 years of turning wrenches and created one of the first mobile vehicle services in our area. Some of my best memories are going with him from company to company, watching while he serviced entire fleets of vehicles and getting to be his helper.
At 14, I got my first summer job…at my dad’s shop. His company had grown to become both a mobile service and a fully operational shop catering not only to fleet vehicles but private customers as well. I started in the office answering phones and by the end of the summer, I was service-writing, building estimates, and even learned basic bookkeeping and payroll.
By my senior year of high school I had amassed enough credits to attend school for a half-day, signed up for the work study program and of course, I worked at the shop. I was sent to the Automotive Training Institute for service advisor and shop owner training. Over the next several years, I continued building on my skills with hands-on training in the shop, technical automotive training, and business studies at the University of Maryland. I worked hand-in-hand and side-by-side with my father and took his philosophy as my own core purpose—treat our clients like people…like family.
By 2007, I had become a certified Maryland State Inspector—one of very few female inspectors in the state at that time. Shortly after that, my father stopped coming into the shop and I began running the day to day operations. Today, we have a large shop in Laurel, Maryland that boasts a superior reputation. I truly take pride in providing more than just quality customer and automotive service. My passion is in giving my clients a personal touch. I take the time to show my clients what their vehicle needs and to teach them how automotive systems work. I take the time to get to know my clients and their expectations. I cannot imagine providing service any other way.
This industry is evolving and my team and I are evolving with it. “Grease in Her Veins” is part of my evolution. I want to share my experiences, my knowledge, and my tips with you. So please, come along for the ride and welcome to our family.
Apparently, only 1 in 5 defective tires are actually being taken off of the road through the safety recall processes that are in place. Now, I’m thinking how on earth can this be? Here is what I know: whenever you purchase tires (regardless of where you purchase them from) a card like the one pictured above should be filled out and mailed in. This is the only way tire manufacturers can notify you if there is a recall on your tires. The vendor (the shop or store who sold you the tires) should have this card, fill it out and mail it in for you. MAKE SURE TO ASK IF THIS HAS BEEN DONE! It could very well save your life.
Grease In Her Veins 