Driven to succeed

LAURIE EDWARDS | Laker Weekly

Ricky Hodges (left), a mechanic at Westlake Automotive, jokes with Manager Roger Thomas while greasing a riding lawnmower wheel for installation.

LAURIE EDWARDS | Laker Weekly

Despite having grease that seems permanently lodged under their fingernails, the mechanics at Westlake Automotive said they're careful not to leave any inside customers' vehicles.

LAURIE EDWARDS | Laker Weekly

Paul Hazelhoff installs a blower motor on a customer's vehicle.

Ask someone for a list of the profesion that is the most distrusted, and auto mechanic most likely would make the top 10.

"They got a bad reputation," said Paul Hazelhoff. "It's a field that you can take advantage of people very easily."

But Hazelhoff, who works at Westlake Automotive, said because he likes to be able to sleep at night, he's an honest mechanic.

Roger Thomas, who manages the business, said trust may be one of the reasons Westlake Automotive won two awards in Laker Media's 9th annual Best of SML Awards for 2010.

"If we tell you we're going to do something, we're gonna do it," said Thomas. "And we're not going to take advantage of the situation."

Westlake Automotive won platinum (first place) in the Best Auto Service category and gold (second place) for Best New Business. The awards were voted on by participants in an online poll.

Thomas, Hazelhoff and mechanic Ricky Hodges all said they were surprised and pleased that Westlake Automotive won two awards after only being open for about six months.

The three partners met in 1993 while working at a Ford-Chrysler dealership in Rocky Mount. At the time, Thomas was the service and parts director and Hazelhoff and Hodges were line technicians.

The trio parted ways in 2008 and moved to different dealerships. But when the auto industry took a nosedive, they all were laid off.

"We were all unemployed," said Thomas. "We decided that with the economy like it is and the manufacturing with the cutting off of dealerships, that we would try it on our own."

Since opening on July 6, Westlake Automotive on Virginia 122 next to Capps Home Building Center has cultivated about 540 customers. Thomas said they strive to keep those customers happy so they'll come back and tell their friends.

"Those guys are just super," said Larry Davidson, a customer from Moneta. "I tell all my friends about it."

Davidson first met Thomas in 2004 when Davidson bought a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan from the dealership where Thomas worked. When Davidson went to have extra features added to the vehicle, he worked with Thomas, who managed parts and service.

"He was super polite, very professional," said Davidson, adding that Thomas went above and beyond his expectations by installing some parts at no charge.

So when Thomas opened Westlake Automotive, Davidson was happy to have a shorter drive to his favorite mechanic.

Other customers laud the Westlake trio for the extra care taken with vehicles. The mechanics work to leave behind no grease on the steering wheel and no smudge marks on the seats or rear-view mirror.

"Also, when you get in the car and there's a spot on the seat or whatever and you know that you didn't do it, we'll clean it," said Hazelhoff. "The last person that worked on it is going to get blamed for it, so we try to clean it up."

Hodges said their customer service is about respecting other people's property.

"We're used to climbing in and out of high-dollar vehicles as well as older vehicles," he said. "One man's junk heap is another man's castle. It is new to somebody or it's the only thing someone else's got."

Thomas said they plan to expand when the economy turns around. Until then, they're plugging along, working to win the Best Auto Service award in 2011.

"With the economy like it is and the traffic like it is right now, we've done comparatively well," said Thomas. "We've been well satisfied with what we've accomplished so far."