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LEFT TO
RIGHT:
Jim Hurley - Master Tech,
Brian Heitzman - Master Tech,
Denny Mandeville - Master Auto/Master HD
Truck/ L-1 Certified,
Jim McLaughlin - Service Advisor,
Steve Smith - Parts Manager
source:
Automotive Service Association of Arizona (asaaz.org) |
Sedona's Caring Canyon
Automotive
By A.M. Melfa
|
Sedona.biz
(Sedona, Arizona) - Jim McLaughlin of Canyon Automotive in West Sedona
makes everyone lucky enough to know him feel good. His
demeanor exudes honesty, caring, compassion and wisdom.
My fiancée, whose car I am babysitting until the move is
completed from California to Sedona, perhaps said it best after
only speaking with Jim once on the phone. "I don't know why for
sure but I just trust the guy."
Having been born and raised in the East Coast of the United
States I must admit that "trustworthy mechanic" are two words
I'd never before had call to string together into a meaningful
phrase. My past experiences with auto mechanics have rendered
me so jaded that my skin radiates a greenish sheen to this very
day.
Yet after meeting and conversing with Jim, I left
Canyon Automotive on that day shaking my head in wonderment as
if I'd just spent the past hour confabbing with a unicorn. It appears that there is such as thing
as an honest mechanic.
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Sprint Car |
Jim McLaughlin grew up in a family smitten with a love for all
things automotive. He spent fourteen years as a sprint car
driver in the Western United States, eventually settling in
Phoenix where he worked as a Service Manager for a large car
dealership.
Jim's naturally sparkling blue eyes take on a dull, flat cast as
he explains the dealership service philosophy which regularly
involves recommending unnecessary goods and repairs in order to
meet their monthly quota.
The birth of a son spurred a move from big city Phoenix to the
small town comfort of Sedona where Jim felt assured that a
safer, more stable community environment awaited his family.
Once in Sedona Jim joined forces with Denny Mandeville to start
up Canyon Automotive. Jim expresses his regard for Denny,
stating "I've never worked for such an honest person,"
displaying his joy over finding another soul who agreed
with his own business beliefs.
Jim laid this philosophy out for me as one might set a table for
dinner. The initial priority is in serving his local customers
before agreeing to conduct repairs for tourists. These local
customers are not just customers to Jim, but his friends first
and foremost. He strives to establish a comfort level with these
folks so they are assured of his priority towards their
automotive needs as well as the trustworthiness of his
mechanical assessments.
Jim is rightly proud of the fact that his regulars simply drop
off their vehicles, hand him the keys and blithely state "call
me when it's ready."
Secondly, but of no less importance, Jim and Canyon Automotive
stress the maintenance of their customer's vehicles to factory
specs in order to avoid costly repairs further down the road.
Not only does this preventative maintenance serve to build the
good reputation of Canyon Automotive as a service facility, but
more importantly reinforces the fact that Jim and his crew are
committed to looking out for the best interest of their friends.
As Jim continues to wink in secret cipher, he expresses his
thankfulness in being allowed to serve the good people of
Sedona. He is deeply gratified by this level of trust and faith
that he has cultivated with his clients: his friends.
So if your vehicle is in need of service or repair, make your
way down to Canyon Automotive at 2025 Yavapai Drive in West
Sedona, or give them a call at 928-282-4424. Your troubles will
be thoroughly rewarded by a glimpse of the rare, heretofore
mythical creature known as "the honest mechanic."
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