Today we’d like to introduce you to Pete And Tricia Larson.
Hi Pete and Tricia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Pete began with a deep interest and passion for cars from early childhood. He found a love for early air-cooled Volkswagens and quickly had a small business fixing them out of his parents’ garage. The neighbors weren’t so thrilled. His first VW Bug engine was built at the young age of 14. While attending James Madison High School, Pete started his first job at the Firestone on Nacogdoches Road as a General Service Technician. Always knowing he wanted to repair cars, Pete attended the trade school Universal Technical Institute (UTI) in Houston. There he earned his degree in Automotive and Diesel Technology.
Pete started his career as a General Motors Technician at various dealerships throughout San Antonio. During these years building tenure and experience, he acquired his ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) Certifications as a Master Technician. He also spent some time at Holt Cat building big bore engines for drilling equipment. He then moved on to independently owned auto repair shops. It became more challenging working for the independent shop owners as he felt he could do just as well or better.
Larson’s Automotive opened its doors July 1, 2016. Pete and Tricia began with a bare-bones business model as Pete had been building a clientele after two years of working nights and weekends, aside from his Monday-Friday full-time auto technician employment. When the doors opened for business here at Larson’s Automotive, Pete was the only person in the shop, serving as service advisor, technician, and business operations. Pete was building the business while also answering phones and receiving clients, diagnosing issues, writing up service tickets, ordering parts, repairing the vehicles, and providing exceptional customer service to cultivate a long-term, trustworthy relationship with his clients, reviewing with clients the services provided, recommendations, and receiving payments.
Although Tricia maintained her full-time employment at VIA Metropolitan Transit for the first four years of Larson’s Automotive, she was on-duty 24/7 for the decision-making and business management, consistently providing advice and support to Pete for the daily operations of the shop. Tricia was in the shop on weekends for the administrative duties to establish the business infrastructure, accounting, and other business management duties.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road was not as smooth as Pete thought it would be. Pete was sure that as soon as the shop signage was put on the building, customers would immediately start walking in. While he felt he had plenty of skills to repair vehicles, Pete understood he lacked the knowledge to run the business, how to hire good employees, and how to be a leader.
As you know, we’re big fans of Larson’s Automotive, Inc.. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Larson’s Automotive is an automotive repair shop servicing all vehicle makes and model types, including diesel vehicles. Repairs and maintenance services offered range from minor maintenance/tires to AC repairs to suspension and exhaust to engine and transmission replacements. There is not too much that Larson’s Automotive does not handle. We pride ourselves on the transparency and communication, the quality of service, and the exceptional customer experience we provide. Using industry technology and applications, our clients are well informed of their vehicle needs through our digital vehicle inspection (DVI). The DVI empowers our clients to make educated decisions on their vehicle repairs and services. Larson’s Automotive extends great effort in prioritizing repairs and maintenance, using quality vehicle parts and original manufacturing equipment (OEM), and offers a 36-Month/36K-Mile Warranty. We are not your average automotive repair shop.
We strive to be the go-to auto shop for all vehicle needs of our clients. We aim to develop life-long relationships with our clients by putting their interest first, listening to their concerns, and understanding and responding to their needs. Our goal is to exceed the expectations of our clients by showing up with our best and giving them the greatest value through our knowledge, years of experience, and continuous training of the industry.
What’s next?
We are excited to complete 10 Years of Service to our community. Plans are to stay engaged and participate in automotive industry growth and advancements. We are building an organization with employee culture focused on family, teamwork, and continuous employee training. By cultivating and building our team professionally and personally, we look forward to many years with a dedicated and hard-working staff. We strive to be the best automotive repair shop in San Antonio!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://larsonsautorepair.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larsonsautomotive/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larsonsautorepair
