Family enterprise a blessing for Longview vehicle mechanic store | Community

The changing times will turn into obvious within weeks at Frank’s Lobo Tire in the Pine Tree location of Longview.

That is when the many years-old small business will set up a new indication with its new name, but it will stay in the fingers of the similar family who began it.

Religion Automotive will however be owned by Frank’s Lobo Tire founder Frank Flores, but two of his small children have joined the business as owners as effectively — his son and daughter, Johnathan Flores and Victoria Flores.

“We’re all Christ followers,” Johnathan Flores stated of how they selected the new name. It lets folks know what the company is all about, he stated — serving persons the way Jesus served.

It also will provide to handle some confusion that has developed about the several years. They mentioned there are two other identical organizations in the neighborhood with “Lobo” in the identify, which include the one the place Frank Flores at first started off his company in downtown Longview in 1995. He offered that business enterprise in 2010, but opened the present shop in 2016 on Marshall Avenue.

And no, while Frank mentioned he supports the Lobos, his children attended Pine Tree educational institutions. When he begun his enterprise, he acquired an present organization that currently experienced “Lobo” in the title.

Frank started off functioning in automotive repair about 20 many years right before he to start with opened his business enterprise, starting up out transforming oil and then shifting up at other outlets.

“I preferred to support the people out,” Frank explained of his motivation for opening his very own shop. He explained he saw that a large amount of people couldn’t afford what big firms were being charging people today to mend autos. “I preferred to help the local community.”

The identify modify also will distinct up confusion about the providers the shop presents.

“People never realized all the work we did,” Johnathan claimed, detailing that his family’s enterprise offer all types of basic mechanical automotive repairs — transmissions, exhaust, alignments, for instance, but no paint and body get the job done. Johnathan also started out a applied car business close by.

Frank is not retiring, but he is handing the reins around to his small children, who he explained are operating with the exact model as he has — with honesty and treatment for customers.

They are, nevertheless, modernizing the shop. The office environment has been updated and renovated, with extra get the job done prepared — new equipment, new bay doors and extra cosmetic upgrades.

Johnathan, the business CEO, mentioned he wishes to franchise the company in the upcoming.

“That’s a aspiration. It’s seriously God’s strategy if which is likely to arrive to fruition,” he explained. “It’s the vision I have to develop to other places and serve people in this location of East Texas.”

The company has moved into the electronic environment, he extra, having pics and films to text to shoppers to display them what’s mistaken with their auto and repairs that are manufactured. The spouse and children also will proceed to supply payment alternatives that consist of similar as dollars funding.

“It helps make it affordable,” Johnathan said, and they really do not have to have a credit score look at, only for shoppers to have a checking account.

They each and every see functioning with family as a blessing. For Frank, it indicates his youngsters and grandchildren are close by.

Johnathan sees benefits as nicely.

“I never believed it would be the way it is now,” he mentioned. “It is a blessing to have my father listed here speaking into my lifetime and guiding me.”

Victoria serves as the office manager and assistance author — the “face” of the small business, Johnathan explained.

She was near to her father and brother rising up.

“So I have constantly just followed in their footsteps,” she reported and she often wished to be a part of the household company and understand about cars. In a male-dominated enterprise, she’s capable to place woman buyers at ease.

“Females are ready to do this job as well,” she claimed, and her father and brother have specified her the ability to get the job done in the field. Lots of sites would not do that, she stated.

Even though there are adjustments occurring at the small business — they are already answering the phone as Religion Automotive — Johnathan wants men and women to know it’s the similar house owners and administrators.

“Customers definitely are still our No. 1 priority,” he claimed.