At Colonial Auto Service in East Longmeadow, Mass., brothers Dan and Brian Murray keep a focus on organization and advertising for their small shop.
Colonial Auto was started by their father, Dave, in 1977. Dan started at the shop in 1986 and Brian has been there since 1990. Tech Eric Jeremicz has been with them for about six years.
Space is at a premium in the tight, three-bay shop. The back wall contains the main toolbox, a selection of vital fluid-exchange machines and a diagnostics cabinet with Snap-on scan tools. Shop carts carry some of the tools between jobs and store neatly between bays.
Matco Tools distributor Doug Broom said that the shop is always busy with cars in the bays and in the lot getting worked on. Colonial's radio ads, he said, tout the shop as "up front and honest mechanics" and that customers respond. He also said Dan and Brian don't shy away from tool purchases that will save time or space.
