Smith's Auto Repair
3327 Peach Orchard Rd., Augusta, GA 30906 706-798-0105
Established in 1969
Smith’s Auto Repair is a Family owned and operated Automotive Repair Facility. We provide services that range from preventative maintenance, to powertrain through drivetrain. We thrive to provide a customer experience that cannot be duplicated. To say that we have been blessed by our community and this industry would be an understatement.
What inspired you to start your own business?
It was hereditary. My Father, Jimmy Smith, started the business in 1969 as a full service gas station, known as US SHELL. Learning work ethic, integrity and the INS and OUTS of the industry from an early age has served me in immeasurable ways. We moved to our current location, one block down from the Shell station in 1992. That move allowed us to zero in on automotive repair and become what we are today.
What inspires your work and what sets you apart from everyone else?
Our Customers, they are incredible and we are driven by fulfilling their needs, I'd say I'm inspired most by the ability to provide outstanding Customer services as well as earn and maintain an honest living for my family. While building a strong foundation for the future. The honest living speaks to what sets us apart as well. Not that all other shops are dishonest. There are some amazing shops in the CSRA and we are blessed by that competition. (But we are different in the fact that our customer's their safety, needs and wants is how we approach each and every day.)
What is your background and how did you develop the skills to start your business?
When I was two years old my dad started his business, and I have grown it to what it is today for sure, But like I said in my earlier question it was hereditary. My skill s have been developed through the demands of this industry. When I started as a boy I could pump gas, clean windshields, and be a student of the business.
What has been your biggest success to date?
Plan and simple it's Longevity. To be able to run a business that was my fathers and that will be my sons is an accomplishment that everyone should have the privilege to experience. My family means the most to me and I love being able to live through them and with them for nearly 51 years serving others. I've accomplished a fair amount but, stooping under a hood with my Dad and Son is the absolute best.
What has been your biggest challenge?
It's been no easy row to hoe, but the largest challenge I have faced is the industry itself. Maybe I am biased. But our Industry is one of the most demanding of them all. My roots were mechanical, and in that time it worked. Now we're living in the technological age and that has been the biggest challenge. Each day presents a challenge of figuring out the latest and greatest of what the Automotive Industry has to offer.
Which small businesses are you inspired by?
I can't say one particular business inspires me more than the other. So any business that serves their community with a level of Integrity and Respect.
If you could go back to the beginning knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently?
I would be more willing to take risk. Particularly the risk of growth. There's no telling how much more we would have grown if I had been willing to expand earlier.
What’s your best advice for someone who wants to start their own business?
Do it. Being self-employed is the most fulfilling thing you can if you do it right. The most important thing you have is your name and reputation. So put your name on it and be ready to work hard.
-David Smith, owner