What is your basic business philosophy? My auto repair business will be known as “Your Neighborhood Garage” by being centered in God, assured by faith and prospered by divine love.

Give us a sales pitch in 25 words or less: We are a locally family owned and operated auto repair facility since 1996. We are God centered. We offer customers the most cost effective auto repair service based on the principles of faith, honesty, integrity, and quality.

What is your proudest business achievement? For three years in a row we were recognized by the Better Business Bureau for “Market Place Ethics.” We were a founding member of the BBB and a member of the Rutherford Chamber of Commerce since opening in 1996. The Murfreesboro Magazine and Murfreesboro Sun publications named us “Best Auto Repair” and “Best Oil Change.”

What led you to Murfreesboro? I retired from the nuclear business in 1995 and began a search for a job that would be in alignment with God’s will for me. Helping people by fixing their car with trust and integrity was a perfect fit.

What is your educational background? I attended Seminole Junior College, University of Tennessee and Louisiana State University. I was a certified senior quality engineer and completed the Senior Reactor Operator Program at Gulf States Utilities. I am a certified auto technician and have completed several auto management courses.

Where are you originally from? I came from Sanford, Fla. in 1970 to work for the Tennessee Valley Authority as a quality engineer in their nuclear program. So I call Tennessee home. I have lived in Murfreesboro longer than anywhere in my life.

What do you do for fun? I love to scuba dive and ride my Harley. This year my wife and I rode our Harley into Canada and made the complete circle around Lake Superior. The total distance was about 1,500 miles. I usually scuba dive four or five times a year in the Florida Keys, Panama City or the Caribbean.

Tell us about your family: My wife, Felicia, was a teacher for 20 years prior to becoming the minister of Unity Church of Life eight years ago. I have two daughters, Michelle Searcy and Mellissa Boles. Both are graduates of Tennessee Technology. Michelle is an information technology manager for Accenture in Fairfax, Va. Mellissa is a third-grade teacher at Capshaw School in Cookeville. She is the mother of our two wonderful grandchildren, Hayden, a 7-year-old, second-grader and Allie a 5-year-old, kindergartener both at Capshaw Elementary School in Cookeville.

Who was your mentor? I have three: Ed Monroe, my first supervisor at TVA, who taught me to do the job right the first time because that’s what people remember the most; Henry “Tap” Richardson, engineering supervisor at TVA, who taught me to look at all possibilities and be prepared for the unexpected; President Jimmy Carter, who taught me that being a good person was more important than being right.

What is the most important thing going on now at your operation? We have changed from a maintenance service facility to a true overall auto repair facility. We do everything from oil changes to engine and transmission replacement. We also do exhaust and welding. To sum it up, if it is broke we fix it.

Here’s Michael’s profile:

Are you married/how long have you been married?

20 years

Do you have any kids? How old are they? Boys or girls?

2 girls- Michelle Searcy age 38 and Mellissa Boles age 35.

Do you have any pets? What kind? What are their names?

2 dogs and one cat. Dogs: Gus-golden retriever 7 years old, Gabby-boxer 4 years old. Cat: Meriwether Lewis Clark (Louie)

What are your hobbies?

Scuba diving, especially as deep and with as many sharks as possible. Gardening, and finally work- I love my job.

How long have you been working on cars?

I helped my next door neighbor change his oil in 1962 that would be 47 years

Why did you get into the auto repair business?

I always worked on cars and motorcycles to see how fast I could make them go. I continued this as a hobby until I opened Master Tech Automotive in 1996.

What’s your dream car?

1969 Camaro Indy Pace Car

What’s your favorite car to work on?

Any car prior to 1973.

What’s your least favorite car to work on and why?

Toyota Previa. It is next toimpossible to get to the engine since it’s under the front seat and there is no room to work on them.

Tomorrow, I’ll post an interview Mike did awhile back about the business- it’s pretty fascinating. Stay tuned!

So, you’d like to know more about Jeff? Here’s his profile:

Are you married or single? Do you have any kids?

I’ve been married for 17 years. 3 kids- a 14 year old son, an 11 year old daughter, and a 6 year old son.

Do you have any pets?

2 dogs- a mutt named Booboo and a puggle named Turner.

What are your hobbies?

Right now I’m restoring an old Ford truck with my son. I also love skeet shooting, golfing, camping, hiking, canoeing, and riding dirt bikes.

How long have you been working on cars?

Since I was 15.

Why did you go into the auto repair business?

I have an uncle that owned California Customs and I enjoyed watching and helping I then went through Ford Asset program and worked as an auto technician for several years, but the money would be good one week and bad the next which was a little hard to deal with, so I became a service writer and manager.

What’s your dream car?

1968 Shelby Cobra

What’s your favorite kind of car to work on?

So far, the best thing I’ve ever worked on was a 1971 Corvette convertible I helped my father-in-law restore.

What’s your least favorite kind of car to work on, and why?

Chryslers. Why? Well, they’re Chryslers.

Come on down and see the hardest working guy in auto repair today!

He’s also a generally all-around good guy. I’ve known him since I started with the shop umpteen bazillion years ago, and we’ve stayed friends pretty much throughout. One of the things that has always impressed me most about Kevin is his ability to stay calm in situations that would have me completely freaking out.

Here’s Kevin’s profile:

Are you married or single? Do you have any kids?

I’ve been married for 6 and a half years. I’ve got two kids- a 7 year old boy and a 4 year old girl.

Do you have any pets?

2 dogs, Sparky and Lady and 2 cats Lucy and Tasha.

What are your hobbies?

I love (and own and ride) motorcycles. Old cars. And I’m really into music, especially from the 60s-80s.

How long have you been working on cars?

I’ve worked in a shop for 20 years, but I’ve been working on cars my whole life. [Ivy's note: Yep, this is the most common answer for this question, by far. I believe it's true, as well. I just find it funny, picturing all these dudes as toddlers, turning wrenches, ha]

Why did you go into the auto repair business?

It runs in the family: both my dad and grandpa were mechanics.

What’s your dream car?

1965-66 Mustang Fastback

What’s your favorite kind of car to work on?

Nothing stands out as a real favorite, but I do tend to prefer American cars.

What’s your least favorite kind of car to work on, and why?

European cars (vw, bmw, mercedes, saab, volvo, jaguar, etc.)- they’re harder to find parts for.

In the shop, he’s Jeff’s backup at the desk, and it seems like he does a little bit of everything. An interesting side note- when my grandma was still alive and in reasonably good health, I took her to have her hair done every Friday. Klint’s long-time girlfriend works at that shop, though it took us awhile to figure out that we all knew each other. Murfreesboro is certainly a much smaller place than it appears to be.

Here’s Klint’s profile:

Are you married or single? Do you have any kids?

I’m in a long-term relationship. I have one boy named Hunter who’s 6 years old and just finished Kindergarten.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, 2 lizards, 4 dogs, 2 turtles, 3 fish and 2 horses.

What are your hobbies?

I like anything having to do with the outdoors- football, basketball, golf, baseball, softball, ATV riding, fishing, hunting, shooting guns, and of course, TV.

How long have you been working on cars?

All my life, really. I’ve worked 10 years in a shop.

Why did you go into the auto repair business?

Growing up, my dad was a big “do it yourself” kind of guy, always working on his own cars, tractors, etc. He also worked on everyone else in our family’s cars, so it just kind of fit with me when I got old enough to work.

What’s your dream car?

1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS-6, 4 speed. (Any color is fine.)

What’s your favorite kind of car to work on?

My own 1978 Chevy 4×4- it’s easy and cheap to work on compared to today’s cars.

What’s your least favorite kind of car to work on, and why?

Anything European- I know very little about them.

Come out to the shop and see Klint in action!

Joe is kind and funny and is one of the fastest oil changers I’ve ever seen. I’ve known him for about 9 years now and I’ve watched him grow over time and overcome various obstacles in his life. He’s good people, and I’m glad to number him among my friends.

Here’s the profile Joe completed for me:

Are you married or single? Do you have any kids?

I’m married- I’ve been married for nearly 22 years. I have one son, who is 22.

Do you have any pets?

I have a pit bull named Kanye.

What are your hobbies?

My favorite thing to do is go fishing.

How long have you been working on cars?

9 years.

Why did you go into the auto repair business?

I love working on any type of machines.

What’s your dream car?

Corvette- any year.

What’s your favorite kind of car to work on?

I like Hondas the best. [Ivy's note: Me too!]

What’s your least favorite kind of car to work on, and why?

Dodges. There’s no real reason, it’s just personal preference.

Jon's also conveniently sized to be able to fit into your engine. Still no extra charge for this service!

Jon is another one of my favorites up at Master Tech. I know, I know. They’re all my favorites for different reasons. I like for any of the guys to work on my car, but Jon’s my favorite. Jon really tells you what’s going on with your car in layman’s terms that anyone can understand, and he’s lightning fast and accurate.

Jon started Master Tech at around the same time I did, if I remember correctly. He was the oil change guy and quickly moved up to a full, ASE certified technician. Jon learns just as quickly as he works, and he’s interesting to watch work as well.

Jon is also one of the funniest guys at the shop. He has a very expressive face, and hearing him tell any story is a treat. Hearing him tell a funny story is a complete blast. He has this monkey face he sometimes does that is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.

Want to know more about Jon? Here’s the profile he completed:

Are you married or single? Do you have any kids?

I’ve been married to a beautiful woman for the past ten years. We have 2 daughters, ages 12 and 5.

Do you have any pets?

Nope, no pets.

What are your hobbies?

Hanging out with my kids and computer stuff.

How long have you been working on cars?

Many, many years. I’ve been around auto repair all my life.

Why did you go into the auto repair business?

It was something I was really comfortable doing.

What’s your dream car?

1968 Pontiac GTO [Ivy's note: Me too, man, me too]

What’s your favorite kind of car to work on?

I actually like Chevies and Fords about equally.

What’s your least favorite kind of car to work on, and why?

Anything that’s rusted out. Rust makes cars so much harder to work on because everything breaks and that’s so frustrating.

Need your car worked on? Come in today and have Jon work on your car! (The monkey face costs extra.)

I first met Johnny at a different auto repair shop in Smyrna that he was working at. He and Kevin were trying to sell me an air filter when I had my oil change. I remember thinking they would both be interesting people to know- they were both well spoken and clean cut, and Johnny with his compact, good looks and piercing eyes was the perfect foil to Kevin, tall and fair, handsome and very blonde.

Little did I know that about a year later, I’d be working with Kevin and about 6 months after that, I’d be working with Johnny as well. All of us at the shop would become friends, and all these years later, we’re still friends. I love that.

I had the guys fill out surveys about themselves, and true to form, Johnny had his done before I even walked out the door. Here’s what he had to say:

Are you married or single? Do you have any kids?

I’m single. I’ve got 2 daughters, one who just finished first grade and another who just finished Kindergarten.

Do you have any pets?

I’ve got three dogs.

What are your hobbies?

Music, and spending time with my girls. I also am a tattoo artist and I also love welding and fabrication.

How long have you been working on cars?

Since I was 9 years old.

Why did you go into the auto repair business?

I really love muscle cars, and other older vehicles. The first one I built was a ‘79 F-150.

What’s your dream car?

1970 Dodge Super Bee

What’s your favorite kind of car to work on?

I really like Chevies.

What’s your least favorite kind of car to work on, and why?

I can work on anything you put in front of me, but I’m not as much of a fan of Chrysler products. There’s something about the way they’re engineered that I don’t dig.

Come on in today, maybe Johnny will be the guy to work on your car!