In our customer lounge area, there is a cabinet filled with model cars. The curio cabinet is an old 1980’s style cabinet that you don’t see much anymore. All the shelves are filled with the different make and models of cars. There are Corvettes, Mercedes Benz, Ferraris and Lancias. The cars are die cast models that Jeff collected with his dad, Arie, over the years. Arie passed away over twenty-three years ago. He and Jeff spent a lot of time collecting the cars together and each one has a memory attached to it. They are all vehicles that were rare. When they searched for cars, they looked for makes that either hadn’t been produced for very long or that had something unique that year. The doors, hoods and trunk or boot all are functional. They are at our shop because that is where they belong. Arie’s dream was to have an auto repair shop and to pass along all his knowledge to Jeff, who also loved cars. Collecting the cars with Jeff was something that they enjoyed doing together. Jeff’s ... read more

One of our technicians, David, is a triathlete. He bikes, runs, or swims daily to be ready for his next competition. He started out mountain biking a while ago and progressed to what he does now. At the shop, we have had several discussions about safety equipment while biking. Many people from our Arie Nol family have participated in different types of bike racing, including Iceman in northern Michigan. Everyone agrees safety equipment can be irritating. You purchase it, wear it and most of the time never have any reason to be glad you wore it. Until an incident that reminds you of the ‘just in case’ reasoning behind that helmet, neck protector or reinforced vest. David had that situation last week. Going 10-15 mph, he hit a tree. He bounced off that tree and hit another head on. The pictures below are of his helmet. In his words, it “rang his bell for sure” but he got up and walked away. The helmet did its job. He walked away able to participate in a sport that, like everything else ... read more

There are many slogans in support of utilizing local business. Shop local. Eat local. Locovore. My Dad owned his own business. My husband grew up in the small business we now own. My children all worked in our business and now work for family-owned or small businesses here in Grand Rapids. I've grown up knowing the impact of 'shop local'. Grand Rapids is blessed with so many small businesses. From furniture making to restaurants, we have some of the best. Our service industry is also full of electricians, plumbers, auto and collision repair. Many of the local business commercials on TV highlight the fact that they are family owned and operated. Some of the places have grown to sell nationally and internationally. Meijer, GFS, Amway, Steelcase etc. all started as local businesses. Why does this matter? Anyone can read the statistics about the impact shopping local has on the economy of your area. To me, it's personal. We pay our employees who then purchase goods and services in our are ... read more

The beginning of the New Year seems to be when we feel the urge to start anew or change our bad habits. We’re going to exercise, eat healthy, be organized and finish up all those projects we started. All the procrastinating and complaining is going to stop! A study by Franklin Covey showed that only 35% of people surveyed stuck with the resolution they made on December 31. Facebook currently has lots of weight loss, money management and organization ads popping up. Everyone wants to help us with our resolutions. A better resolution is to appreciate where you are and make small changes every day that help you reach your goal. Take the stairs, eat an apple instead of chips, or get a plain coffee instead of a mocha- cinnamon cappuccino with whipped cream. Enjoy your New Year’s Eve, be safe and Happy

Taking car maintenance seriously is not as exciting as it may sound (this was said with heavy sarcasm). It’s like going to the dentist; you know you have to do it, but most people drag their feet before making the appointment. Knowing you have a dental appointment causes us to do all the things we should be doing anyway. Typically, lots of flossing precedes the dentist appointment. The dental hygienist knows that you don’t floss every day. One glance in your mouth tells them you tried to make up for all those missed flossings. Car maintenance has a similar effect on people. You think back to when that pesky light on the dashboard came on and you decided to ignore it. It’s suggesting that you need maintenance, but it’s not a carved-in-stone-do-this-immediately light, right? Most of the time, the maintenance due light is letting you know that something the manufacturer recommended is due. You can look in your owner’s manual and find out what sort maintenance is due, or you can call your ... read more

Technology changes in vehicles; therefore, we need to upgrade our tools and training. At the same time, our software and hardware also change and need to be upgraded. Computers, phone systems, security systems, etc. need to be kept running efficiently as well as taking advantage of upgrades to increase our productivity. Who would have imagined thirty-five years ago that not only would there be phones without cords but we would have Bluetooth? A device that sits in your ear and you can answer the phone while driving, walking, eating or perhaps even while you’re at the mall? Each of our technicians has an iPad they use to communicate with the service writers. No more paper and pen. They’re able to take photos which the service writers can then email or text to the customers. This keeps the customer aware of what is happening with their vehicle. I’m not an IT person and have no desire to become one. We were fortunate enough to be connected with a great, local, small business owner, Kevin ... read more

This time of year is all about change. The leaves are changing and night comes a little bit sooner. We're doing more driving in the dark. There are kids outside waiting for the bus before the sun comes up. And then there's Halloween. Loads of kids running around from house to house in search of candy while dressed in fun costumes. It seems like Michigan’s tradition for it to be cold and possibly even rainy that night. Not always the best conditions for watching out for little ghosts and goblins in the road. The holidays will also be here before we know it and there’s a lot of driving from place to place and road trips to visit relatives. It's easy to put off minor repairs or maintenance to our vehicles at such a busy time during the year. Plan ahead, and just like replacing the filter in your furnace in the fall before you have to use it, have the technician that performs your oil change check several things. Most reputable repair facilities do this as part of the oil change but ask if ... read more

We rely on our cars, but, overtime as we drive, parts start to wear out. Normally people don't even think about this wear and tear – I didn't used to – but it is an important issue. 12 – 13% of auto accidents are caused by mechanical failure due to recommended work being deferred. The worn out part continues to wear down, the parts around it work overtime to compensate and suddenly, several pieces of equipment are worn down, not just one. When it comes to driving a car with worn out parts, the cold, hard reality is it is unsafe for the driver, passengers and the other people on the road. If that isn't bad enough for you, driving with a worn out part can also lead to higher repair bills down the road as it leads to multiple parts needing replacement. (If your shocks aren't working correctly, your ball joints, control arms, etc begin to break down from all the extra work.) You can't avoid wear and tear to your car, but you can avoid extra repair costs by being proactive. When your techni ... read more

Arie Nol opened Arie Nol Auto Center in 1976. It had a small office with two bays attached. The building had been a former gas station and, according to someone who had grown up in the area, a florist shop at one time. The road was two lanes, no CVS pharmacy and there were two gas stations. Many of the strip malls that are here now did not exist. Jeff was still in high school but would join the business as a full-time employee when he finished two years of college. Arie added an additional bay at that time. It was a time of no computers, one phone line, and vehicles were not nearly as technical as they are now. The answering machine was a cutting edge business tool. It’s interesting to think back on that time as we celebrate our 40th anniversary this year. It is still a family- owned and operated business that takes pride in personal service and customer satisfaction. We have built relationships that span three generations. Cameron is the 3rd generation of the Nol family to work here ... read more

It’s that time of year. Making the list of items your college bound student needs before they leave. Extra long twin sheets for the dorm bed, a laptop, and a slew of really expensive text books they can later sell and perhaps purchase a cup of coffee. If they are taking a vehicle with them, add “vehicle check” to the list. This is important for several reasons. Firstly, most college students are not worried about oil change intervals and battery health. Having the vehicle checked over and maintained by your local repair shop before you leave can save you time and money. No one wants a phone call because their student living out of town has a dead battery. This requires finding a local shop and possibly paying for a tow charge. It’s also less stressful working with a shop that you are familiar with now, rather than trying to find a repair shop in the town your student is living in while they are trying to deal with the situation. Being proactive now can save you phone calls and unnecess ... read more