Professionals in Automotive Service Since 1940

Spotlight date: May, 2014 Member of the month: Paul Grech Spotlight date: May, 2014 Paul Grech, Allied Engine & Auto Repair, San Francisco, CA Paul is the president of Chapter 21 (San Francisco). He’s pictured with his 1936 Ford pickup. In his own words: "I became involved in automotive repair because I watched my dad work on his cars from the age of four and when I was 16 my dad gave me a 1936 Ford truck. I was able to get a license at 15, but I wasn’t able to keep it very long, because I had five tickets before I had a license, so I lost my license for six months. During that time without a license, I was able to put an Oldsmobile motor, a Caddie box and a nine inch Ford rear end in the ’36, so it was a very dependable hot rod and I still have it. The road to owning my own repair ... read more

Spotlight date: April, 2014 Member of the month: Glenn Davis Spotlight date: April, 2014 Glenn Davis, GDA Enterprises, Upland, CA Glenn is a member of Chapter 14 (Inland Empire) and chairman of the ASCEF. Click here to learn more about the ASCEF In his own words: "Thank you all for your kind words,I never imagined the path I would take when I first attended an ASCCA meeting in Chapter 5 back when I was a 22-year old shop owner. The evening is still etched in my memory as if it happened last night. Through the years (into my 30th year now as an ASCCA member), I have met and been mentored by the real icons of our industry. I learned the fine art of leadership from the likes of Larry Moore, Tom Ward, Chet Stilbower, Ron Dyrness,Jim O’Neill, Allen Cherko, Dan Fogle, Mike Mahneke and Robert Salerno. I hope one day I too will be able pass those things on to the next ge ... read more

Spotlight date: March, 2014 Member of the month: Junior Tamayo Spotlight date: March, 2014 Junior Tamayo, Jay’s Auto Center, Torrance, CA In his own words: "I have been a proud member of the ASCCA for over 40 years and I am happy to share my story. I have always been a “pliers and wire” kinda guy; as a child I loved working with my hands, helping my uncles with whatever they were working on, whether it be tinkering with a motor or fixing a leaky faucet. I was inspired to work hard as I got older mostly because I was married with three kids by the age of 27. I began working for Jay’s Automatic Transmissions in 1969 as a grunt worker. My job was to stay out of everyone’s way and keep busy with whatever I was told to do. I really enjoyed working for Jay the original owner and he saw potential in me. Many nights when my co-workers would go home I would stay and read the work manuals on how t ... read more

Spotlight date: February, 2014 Member of the month: Ken Breshears Spotlight date: February, 2014 Ken Breshears, Keith’s Auto Repair, Redding, CA In his own words: "At 10 years of age my first job was detailing cars and working the pump island at my father’s Chevron service station during the summer. Later, when he became the AAA towing contractor for Shasta County, I would help the drivers on snow days and help the technicians during the summer. In high school I found employment in a restaurant and became a sous chef by age 18. By age 20 for many reasons I returned to the family business, a high volume Chevron station with a busy back room repair business. I became the manager by the end of that first summer, in 1983. The automotive repair business was changing and I was excited to learn all aspects of the industry, such as customer service, business management, new technologies and much more.In 1992 my father ... read more

Spotlight date: January, 2014 Member of the month: Robert Salerno Spotlight date: January, 2014 Robert Salerno, Salerno’s Auto Service Center, Redlands, CA In his own words: "I was inspired to get into automotive repair early on. If my mother was alive today, she would tell you that starting at the age of two I took everything apart just to see what made it work. My dad at times wanted to terminate my life because he found some of those things in pieces. At age 15, for $50 I purchased a 1930 Model A sedan with a damaged engine. With the help of Sears, Roebuck & Company, and reading some books, I was able to overhaul the engine. With financial support from my lawn business I got that fine vehicle running. I also worked for a body man and painter at a local Pontiac dealership, in exchange for their free labor to paint my car. Then there was an opening for a new car-get ready helper. So my love of automobiles and ... read more

Spotlight date: December, 2013 Member of the month: Zarkis Martirosian Spotlight date: December, 2013 Zarkis Martirosian, Bud Eberwein Automotive, Fresno, CA In his own words: "I got involved in automotive repair because my uncle owned European Motors in San Jose for many years. At age 12, the idea of being able to repair something or build something was very intriguing to me. I also wanted to some day own a business like his.I graduated with an AS degree from Fresno City College and went to work for Bud Eberwein Brake Service at age 20 in 1972. The day Bud interviewed me, I told him that one day I would buy him out. I worked for Bud for six years as a mechanic, then eight-and-a-half years managing the shop. I bought the shop from him in 1985. The business expanded and outgrew the building. Our current shop was built in 1987. I made Bud Eberwein Brake Service a full-service automotive shop in 1995.What have I gained ... read more

Spotlight date: November, 2013 Member of the month: Phil Fournier Spotlight date: November, 2013 Phil Fournier, Phil’s Auto Clinic, Hemet, CA In his own words: "I was working on my dad’s lawnmower before I was a teenager. I built my own go-cart when I was 11 years old. I barely considered any other career even though my dad was a geophysicist with a degree from the Colorado School of Mines and my brother was studying mechanical engineering. I got my first job in a salvage yard at age 13, busting tires.My brother, the mechanical engineer, lost his job when nuclear power went south after Three Mile Island. My dad decided that purchasing the auto repair business where I worked would be a good idea and give my brother a job. That was 1984 and as they say, the rest is history. We learned of ASCCA early on, even before we took ownership of the shop, through the Tim Runner/ASCCA trade shows that were held in Anaheim ... read more

Spotlight date: October, 2013 Member of the month: Danny Iwama Spotlight date: October, 2013 Danny Iwama, J & S Auto Service, Los Angeles In his own words: "I’ve always been mechanically inclined. I was the bane of my father, because I would take anything and everything apart. I don’t think there is a mechanic in the field that hasn’t taken their bicycle apart and put it back together again. In high school during the late ’60s while attending an LAUSD school we were given many choices for electives and I took Auto Repair. I loved cars. I enjoyed reading Road & Track and about Can-Am and Formula 1 races. During the 1990′s I was a member of the Compuserve “For Techs Only” forum. I read the postings of Charlie Mulchahy, Phil Fournier, Jim O’Neil, Greg Kelly, and Scott Brown in regards to being a member of a trade organization. It was during a BAR meeting in Long Beach ju ... read more

Spotlight date: September, 2013 Member of the month: Larry and Laurie Moore Spotlight date: September, 2013 Larry and Laurie Moore, Larry’s AutoWorks, Mountain View, CA In their own words: "I got into auto repair because I was really hard on cars and they would break and since I was a student, I could not afford to pay to have them fixed. I worked my way through college building VW engines in my garage and eventually for a local engine building company. While finishing up my college education, the shop owner I worked for decided to get out of the business. He offered me the business at a great price. I begged and borrowed enough money to buy the business. I immediately discovered that what I learned in college about business had almost no application in my small shop. Luckily the previous owner had done a very good job of setting up the production processes which helped me survive long enough to figure it ou ... read more

Spotlight date: August, 2013 Member of the month: Jack Scrafield Spotlight date: August, 2013 Jack Scrafield, North Hollywood Auto Repair, North Hollywood, CA In his own words: “I originally joined ASCCA Chapter 5 Foothill in 1985 as an associate member as I was managing the Los Angeles operations for Mission Uniform Service. Through ASCCA Chapter 5 Foothill I developed many business relationships and numerous friends in the industry. In 1990 I left Mission to pursue another career. In 1998 I was approached by a good friend that owned No. Hollywood Auto Parts and No. Hollywood Auto Repair. My buddy wanted to focus his efforts on the parts business and asked if I would consider buying his repair business. Since I was the one that enrolled him in membership at Chapter 5 years before, we both knew that I would have a support team in our friends at Chapter 5 with this endeavor. That is exactly what happened! I immedia ... read more