Today, one of the "Partners" is retired from this same endeavor, while the younger of the two, Frank Matyi, continues to pack his lunch and come to work everyday. It may be somewhat of an understatement coming from ANY self-employed businessman in Youngstown, but after 29 years Frank says, "The business has been good to me."
The former gas station has 3 bays for servicing cars. Partners' parking lot is usually packed. The most asked-for repair these days is brake work. Frank's preference: engine repair of course, and diagnostic work. The intellectual stuff. Someone once said of all the professions, if you want to find the smartest guy in the room, it's a mechanic. It's all about understanding how systems interact with each other, cause and effect, thinking outside of the box, processes, and sometimes intuition.
Frank works on all makes of cars. He updates his test equipment annually and consistently participates in educational seminars. The challenge is to remain abreast of the electronics, constant changes in computerization, VIN-specific programming used in engines and on their parts, and the specific diagnostics for each auto manufacturer. Imagine the lifetime of knowledge and experience in HIS databank.
Grey matter aside, when I asked Frank of what he was most proud. He said it is his repeat customers with each of their cars -- and now their offspring are doing the same. His attributes this to a simple formula: "Doing it right."
Frank Maryi's Partners Auto Repair is at 37 Steel Street, Youngstown, Ohio 44509, (330) 792-7100.
