SIUSLAW NEWS | NOVEMBER 18, 2017 | S ECTION C
Small businesses are vital to the community. They meet the needs
of local residents and support the economy by serving as the largest
retail employers in the area. Locally-owned businesses build strong
neighborhoods by sustaining vibrant town centers and contribute
to area causes. In Hometown Progress 2017, presented by Siuslaw
News, these hometown businesses seek to show how they impact the
Florence-area and western Lane County’s culture and community.
Tony’s Garage is a real family affair
CALL
TONY’S
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
The Phillips family works together at Tony’s Garage, a car repair facility in Florence.
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
S IUSLAW N EWS
T
ony Phillips is a very busy man.
He is the owner of Tony’s
Garage in Florence and, along with
members of his family and longtime
employee Stuart Cross, repairs and
provides maintenance services for
most brands of domestic and foreign
automobiles.
The parking lot at Tony’s is
usually full of vehicles, of all types,
waiting to be repaired or picked
up by their owners. The reason
customers bring their vehicles in
growing numbers to the business is
the experience and knowledge he
brings to his work.
“I spent 22 years at a new
car dealership in the service
department. I was a technician, so
I got to watch a number of different
service managers and the different
things going on around the shop,”
Tony said. “I got to see what works
and what doesn’t work, and see
where the mistakes were made and
how to avoid them.”
Tony has been operating the
garage since 2001, but it was only
recently that his wife joined him on a
daily basis, working with customers
at the front desk as they drop off or
pick up their car.
“Melissa retired from Banner
Bank last year and came to work here
with us,” Tony said. “She gets to
hang out with me and the boys now,
everyday. That is pretty awesome.
Having her here is really going good
and the customers love to see her in
the offi ce and visit with her.”
Tony and Melissa’s sons, Kevin
and Kyle, are also integral parts
of the team, and both are well-
trained, dedicated young men who
bring a strong core of automotive
knowledge to every repair they
undertake.
“We sent both boys to college
in Portland, to automotive school,
and they got their degrees and came
back and work here with us,” Tony
said. “It’s great to be able to work
with my boys and my wife, doing
something that provides a service
to our community and that we all
enjoy.”
The continually increasing
sophistication of automobiles, and
the equipment needed to diagnose
and repair modern vehicles, requires
an understanding of the latest
automotive systems and a familiarity
with software programs that have
fundamentally changed the manner
in which repairs are diagnosed and
completed.
“The boys keep honing their
skills everyday. Cars change every
year and there is always new stuff to
learn and new problems to fi gure out
and fi x,” Tony said. “We can pretty
much do everything you need to do
on your car, with the exception of
the warranty work that the factory
will only pay the dealership to do.”
Tony is a friendly, engaging man
with a twinkle in his eye and a lilt in
his voice that make it clear he enjoys
his work. He is also hesitant to share
the contributions he has made to
local nonprofi t organizations in
town that often have older vehicles
and limited fi nancial resources
to keep those vehicles in running
order.
For the past few years, Tony’s
Garage has assisted with repairs on
the vehicles owned by the Boys and
Girls Club of Western Lane County
and Florence Food Share, among
others, often covering the costs
associated with those repairs.
Jack Davis, Executive Director
of the Boys and Girls Club, believes
the contributions are essential to the
continued operation of his nonprofi t
organization.
“Tony’s
contributions
are
nothing short of amazing. He has
never charged us a penny for any of
the repairs he has done on our van
or bus. It is the generous support of
community businesses like his that
keep our club viable,” Davis said.
Tony said, “I feel like my name is
on everything that rolls out of this
door, so I have a personal stake in
everything done by everybody here.
If your name is on it, you need to
make sure everything is done right
and the customer is happy.”
Tony’s Garage is located at 1730
21st Street and can be reached at
541-902-1955.
The Phillips Family
Kevin, Melissa, Tony & Kyle
Complete Bumper to Bumper
Auto Repair and Service
Since 2001!
TONY’S GARAGE
1730 W. 21st Street
541-902-1955
For information on featuring your business, contact Marketing Director Susan Gutierrez at 541-902-3530.