The Best Deals on Wheels

The Best Deals on Wheels

Figure 1

“Do you smell that?  That’s the smell of money being made” exclaims Gary as he walks into the office connected to the garage as the new engine of a 2006 Cobalt SS is being lowered down into the hood.  A customer walks in to pay his bill and greets us with a friendly “Hello, how’re you?” Gary quickly responds with his old fashioned and often used “still kicking” as he hands the customer his copy of the bill along with a business card showing the business name, address and next appointment date.

Finding Best Auto Sales isn’t the hardest thing to do.  Most customers are locals, but if you were coming from Route 80 all that changes is having to pull off the Lock Haven exit and travel through town until Best Auto Sales emerges on the horizon, but chances are you’re going to smell the amazing aroma of artificial burger grease flowing through the vats on the roof across the street.  Best Auto Sales, located at 555 High Street, Lock Haven, PA is easy on and off access to anyone traveling to and from Lock Haven, Pennsylvania (Figure 1).

Open since 1994, Best Auto Sales and Service Center, owned and operated by Gary Best and John Best has been offering the “Best deals on wheels that won’t cost you an arm or a leg” that not only their slogan ensures, but a saying their customers continuously preach for being one of the main reasons they choose Best Auto Sales over the locally known and large branched car services centers and garages.  Anna Dershem, from Lock Haven, PA recounts “Best Auto Sales gives me the BEST service around, and is cheap too!  The labor rates here are nowhere near as high as the other garages around here.”  Satisfied customers like Anna are the reason why Best Auto Sales and Service Center is still around after more than 20 years (Figure 2 Gary).

Figure 2

Satisfied customers come from the exceptional work that the employees at Best Auto Sales are able to produce each and every day.  Looking around the shop you see an individual covered in grease from head to toe dressed in black pants and a black shirt with a clean shaven head.  Upon washing his hands with the “Nut Scrub” soap he introduces himself as Jeremy.  Jeremy has been an employee at Best Auto Sales and Service Center for over 20 years.  “Best Auto Sales is like a family to me, I’ve worked here since the day I graduated High School and I have grown up with everyone here, including you!” Jeremy says as he points directly at me.  Across the wall using the pressure washer is the second employee named Joe.  Joe has worked at Best Auto Sales for 8 years and is equally as family as Jeremy and deals with the reconditioning of cars which consists of anything from a simple wash to an entire interior/exterior cleanup (Figure 3 Jeremy)(Figure 4 Joe).

Figure 3

Figure4

Standing outside looking at the garage you are going to see three large bay doors.  Within those doors is where the magic happens.  No matter how far away a person stands they hear the radio blasting over all the man made sounds. Any day but Wednesday rock music is being played, but on Wednesday’s country music is played all day, catering specially to Joe’s request.  Upon entering the garage your ears are automatically overtaken by the sound of Jeremy rotating tires and Joe buffing a car.  Fluorescent shop clocks line the walls and chemicals of all sorts of colors are sprawled out all over the floors and counters in an order that would look nowhere near organized to a normal person, but to them works perfectly.  The smell of tires decompressing and being taken off the wheels gives off an aroma of burnt rubber but a more empowering smell comes from the reconditioning side with the smell of blueberries as more soap is being added to the washing solution.

Gary didn’t always have the intentions of owning his own car dealership and service center until a sudden death in the family occurred.  Traveling home to his sister’s funeral in Raleigh, North Carolina Gary was approached by a mother of a kid who owned a large local dealership.  She pleaded with Gary that if he not take over her son’s dealership that it would go under, so from that day forward Gary operated “Bill Marks Ford AMC and Jeep.”  After reviving that dealership to its proper shape Gary went on to co-won a dealership named “Ram Country Ford” with his friend and worked there until they sold out in 1994.  From there on Best Auto Sales was formed with his son, John Best and excellence has come from it ever since.  “Best decision of my life” pronounces Gary as he sits down on his recliner in the corner of the office.  “Being able to work with my son, make my own hours, and manage a successful business that I  own is truly a blessing and I am so glad I made the decision when I did.”

Looking up at the clock and seeing that it’s 4:30PM Gary quickly jumps up and shouts “and that’s all for today folks!” as Jeremy and Joe clock out and leave through the front door.