Editor’s Take note: This is the 12th in a series about legendary Westerville firms that are featured monthly.
Westerville Automotive, 31 E. Principal St., has been servicing customers’ automobiles for 25 many years.
Ken Maginn, manager, explained the small business focuses on the group, as properly as consumer gratification.
“We have quite a few listed here who came from dealership positions (seeking) much more community-centered, compact-enterprise-based (target) to consider treatment of the shoppers and have the loyalty of customers,” he explained. “What we try to do is be a section of the community. Which is what sets us apart. We definitely try to attract enterprise from in Westerville. We have a ton of customers outside Westerville, but we like staying element of the community currently being a tiny organization.”
Maginn, who has been with Westerville Automotive for 20 a long time, explained owner Richard Aumann acquired the spot at 5591 Westerville Street a number of years prior to the Uptown site that was opened in 1997.
“This creating we have photos when it was basically an automotive dealership way back in the early 1900s,” he claimed. “I have a picture of a Hudson dealership in 1915, I imagine. It just claims ‘Westerville Auto Profits.’ In the ’40s and ’50s, it was a dealership Vern Bailey owned.”
He talked about a hearth at the setting up in the 1930s. In 2017, it underwent a key façade rework, that includes a retro seem.
Maginn mentioned Scott McClure, who has been with the company considering that the mid-1980s, is the normal manager of the two areas, including that McClure is a normal on Car Smarts Radio on Saturday mornings on 610 WTVN with host Dan “Boots” Longenette.
“You can phone in and question inquiries,” Maginn stated. “People phone in and say, ‘Hey, my motor vehicle is doing this.’ It’s 3 auto men conversing, generally. If they can’t determine it out or if it isn’t anything they just can’t fix by themselves, he might say you may well want to examine out Westerville Automotive.”
The Reynoldsburg resident explained the organization features every little thing from switching a headlight bulb to replacing an full engine.
“The only factor we don’t do below is collision mend,” he mentioned. “We do all styles of mechanical maintenance on all kinds of cars and trucks. We’re a NAPA AutoCare Middle.”
In a the latest Google critique, Stephanie Lessen wrote,” I have been likely below for years. Employed to only have the one particular location, but the Uptown is so nearer for me now. I do not have faith in any one else with my autos. They are constantly up entrance and truthful in their pricing.”
In an additional critique, Chris Ray wrorte, “These fellas are terrific! The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. My technician, Zach, did a great repair service job to the entrance suspension in my Jeep, and it now rides the very best given that I have owned the car or truck. Their support has been excellent.”
Maginn explained the Uptown spot has five complete-time and two element-time workers, and the Westerville Street store has seven total-time and two part-time workers.
Brad Copen, the center’s assistance adviser, has worked at the Uptown shop for 6 yrs.
“I go home and sleep incredibly effectively at night time,” he reported. “The administration in this article wants you to get treatment of the customer. I worked at dealerships for around 20 decades. There is very little improper with dealerships, but they drive, force, push to want you to do extra and extra. I felt I wasn’t getting treatment of the consumer the way they really should have been.”
When he interviewed for the job, Copen stated, the management told him the main aim is to consider care of the client.
“You hear that all the time, but you could see it in their eyes,” he claimed. “They meant exactly that. I system on retiring from below if I can.”
Copen, a Grove Metropolis resident, said he follows guidance his father had specified him quite a few several years ago – to handle folks the way you want to be addressed.
“The Bible tells me, how can I love a person if I really don’t adore myself?” he stated. “When people today wander by means of that door, I enjoy these persons up below in Westerville. I truly do. They are amazing persons. They get to the position where they have confidence in you. They will say, even right before we know what is improper, ‘Just take care of it.’ I continue to simply call them. That is how considerably they trust us, and they believe in we’re likely to acquire treatment of them in the proper way.”
Copen stated the service middle begun out by executing 30 to 40 repairs a thirty day period it now averages 80 to 85.
“We could have the most effective month we’ve at any time experienced this month, and that will be near to 96,” he reported. “We have a fantastic group of men who operate quite tricky. They will keep right after several hours to resolve vehicles to make sure the customer is taken care of.”
Company hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. It’s closed Sundays.
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This short article initially appeared on ThisWeek: Iconic Westerville Companies: Westerville Automotive’s longevity driven by pleasure