"If we would have planned it, it probably never would have happened." That's Aaron O'Connor's take on the founding of his
Dolgeville, NY, shop, Automotive Rescue + Repair. Twelve years ago, when O'Connor was working as a tow truck operator, he
passed through Dolgeville on a service run.
SHOP TALK
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"I saw an old service station building someone was looking to rent for just $350 a month," he says. Believing the area was
in need of quality shops — and confident he was up to the task of creating one — O'Connor jumped at the opportunity and rented
the location. He's never looked back.
The office work area showcases the shop's point-of-sale advertising.
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In the decade since his fortuitous journey through Dolgeville, O'Connor has continued building his business by taking advantage
of the opportunities at hand, opportunities that often first appear as serious problems but eventually turn out to be auto
repair gold.
Shop owner Aaron O'Connor prepares to do a transmission flush.
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This was certainly the case during the early years of operation, when O'Connor was still learning vehicle repair, had limited
business experience and practically no seed money to build on. He made the most of the opportunities handed to him. For more
education, he turned to every auto repair and management resource he could get his hands on, and pored over their information.
Inside his business, he concentrated on customer service and quality repairs while supplementing with 24/7 towing operations.
The alignment bay and heavy truck bay in action.
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Eventually, word spread, business took off, and O'Connor "casually" began planning for the day when he could expand and take
his operation to the next level.
Technician Scott DeNinno presses out a U-joint from a rear driveshaft.
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That day came much sooner than expected in late 2002, when the building owner decided without warning to evict O'Connor's
business. Considering a harsh upstate New York winter was coming in, and O'Connor's building plans were still, as he describes
it, in the "dinner napkin drawing" phase, the eviction notice couldn't have come at a worse time.
The shop withstands the snowy New Jersey winters.
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But O'Connor had an ace up his sleeve. Years before, he took advantage of an opportunity and purchased property he believed
to be ideal for a shop site. With property in hand, he needed only to finance the shop itself.
The Automotive Rescue + Repair crew includes resident Great Dane Frank
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The timing couldn't have been better for a business loan, since interest rates were extremely low in late 2002, saving O'Connor
what he says was a "small fortune" on interest. With money in hand, O'Connor quickly broke ground and several months later
opened the shop he always wanted.
Today, that shop repairs more than 50 cars a week, bringing in more than $650,000 annually. It continues to thrive in large
part by making the most of business opportunities — many of which are drawn to its doors by its towing services. Towing contributes
significantly to the shop's bottom line, and brings in a steady stream of new faces with whom the shop can build long-term
relationships.
Even when these visits turn into one-time only affairs (towing customers often are from out of town), they still possess significant
value to Automotive Rescue. The shop gets one more chance to help customers, build its reputation and work toward the next
opportunity.
Tim Sramcik is a freelance writer who has covered the auto repair industry for more than eight years. He has received national and regional
awards for feature writing from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). He also has 18 years of experience
in the technical writing industry.
