Auburn Auto Care is arguably the newest vehicle repair business in Geauga County.
Auburn Auto Care is arguably the newest vehicle repair business in Geauga County.
Set back off Auburn Road just south of state Route 6 in Chardon Township, the three-bay operation is redolent of fresh paint.
But under the paint, the building has some history as Lynn’s Automotive some years back, said Auburn Auto Care owner and mechanic Jake Swetel.
“It was being used for storage when we got here,” he said, adding it took a lot of work to clear it out, clean it up and set up for business.
Swetel said he’d been thinking about going into his own business for about a year because he wanted to get back on a face-to-face basis with customers.
“I worked for Don’s Cars in Chesterland for 12 years,” he said.
He also spent some time as a mechanic for dealerships, but found he preferred the mom-and-pop atmosphere at Don’s.
“I got used to the way he treated customers,” he said of Don Horvath.
The Horvath family had been in the business for several generations and the garage was voted the best in Geauga County, Swetel said.
After working for a commercial garage chain, he began to understand the difference between that and a homegrown operation.
“Don’s caters to the customers,” Swetel said, adding he liked that attitude.
“I missed having a relationship with customers,” he said. “I was tired of being cooped up in the back of the shop. And I wanted to get out on my own.”
So he made some contacts and settled on the building on Auburn Road, just a short distance from his home.
A month ago, Swetel rolled up the bay doors and has had pretty steady business since.
His office helper, Jessica Belcher, is a friend of the family who works part time at the garage learning how to do the accounting for a small business.
“She’s the first face you see when you walk through the door,” he said.
The sign behind her counter simply states “Labor $95/hour,” which Swetel said is average around town.
Dealers usually charge $110 to $120 an hour, he said.
After 20 years of doing a lot of mechanic work, Swetel said he likes to solve problems and will take on most any kind of vehicle.
“I want to give folks quality services at affordable prices,” he said.
