Tom’s Tidbits- We’re moving! But we aren’t going anywhere at all.

Greetings,

Since I’m taking a break from political news for a while, I’m not going to comment on its shortcomings. I’m not paying attention so I don’t see the problems, much like a huge chunk of citizens, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with their world. I’d like to do something else with Tidbits this month by thanking all the people, both clients and staff, who have made our shop what it is after 35 years of service.

I didn’t start my own business to have a shop like others, I did it because I knew I could do better. I felt no other shop was properly inspecting its client’s vehicles nor maintaining adequate records and selling the right stuff. Most service providers do not present the necessary, prioritized services that are needed. I thought my clients would have peace of mind knowing they were taking good care of their vehicles and spending their hard-earned money exactly where it needs to go. Shops that don’t care for the whole car can only deliver limited service. There’s no incentive to determine needed priorities if they can’t service all areas of the vehicle. They want to sell you what they can do, so that is what they sell. I wanted to provide prioritized advice of a vehicle’s real-time needs. I knew the best way to grow my business was to please each client, taking care of people like family and trying to develop a long-term successful relationship.

I started small in two bays in 1984 and in a few years, I signed a lease for a small slice of a big building in Sellwood. Our grand opening party on November 11, 1987. I was small and kept my standards high. Client satisfaction remained our priority as we grew from those early days, and we now occupy 13,000 sq ft with a staff of about 20 people serving thousands of clients from all over. I think our clients appreciate our unique service and enjoy the peace of mind we deliver.

Our company’s grown with Sellwood as it changed from an inexpensive working-class neighborhood to an upscale part of one of the hottest real estate markets in the country. All that growth and gentrification brought problems we’re living with today. You helped us survive the Sellwood Bridge reconstruction and the erection of the apartments across the street but increasing density, paralyzing traffic, vanishing parking, and omnipresent construction are here with more is on the way. I know I’m not alone in worrying that everything I love about Sellwood is in peril, but no one can stop progress, greed, or the quest for the almighty dollar. Change is always coming, and the only choice we ever have is how to face it.

We plan to face that future right here where we grew up, even as the neighborhood continues to change underneath us. Not many people know that the main parking lot north of our building is the stub end of Tenino Street. New construction means we lose more parking spaces. The city’s abandonment of the part of Tenino Street that is our parking lot is changing our address. We’ve been at 530 SE Tenino Street for 35 years but no longer! Our new address, effective immediately, is 8211 SE 6^th Ave, Portland, 97202. See? Our address changed but we didn’t even need to move. If only the rest of the changes we’re facing were so easy!

No matter the challenges, I’m very confident about the years to come. We’ve built an unmatched team of consummate professionals and I’m unbelievably proud of them. Our Technicians are ASE-Certified and Master-Certified, but many shops only have one or two people at this level. Neither the Service Advisors nor Technicians are paid by commission. They all appreciate that we are not a flat-rate shop. No one builds a paycheck by selling (or upselling) parts or services, as is the norm in our industry. Our Technicians can be professionals and feel good about doing their best work without being rushed. I’m proud to be a shop where expertise is respected, and craftsmanship is encouraged. I can’t say enough about our Service Advisors, a bit like aircraft landing controllers, hotel concierge, executive assistant, teacher and counsellor all rolled together. Service Advisors coordinate the many complex pieces that it takes to guide vehicle owners (and soothe them when necessary). They’ve also worked in commission shops in the past, and I can see what a difference it makes to be in our non-commissioned shop where we ask them to just give their best advice in the owners’ interest.

Our biggest strength, though, is you, your friends and neighbors, and the people across Portland and beyond who’ve been with us for so many years. You tell us you keep coming back because you appreciate the straight-up way we do business, the respect and that honest, local, personal, service is worth coming back for. There’ll be bumps yet as Sellwood continues to change, but your loyalty and confidence will get us through no matter what. THANK YOU for everything you’ve done to support us, and THANK YOU in advance for your continued support in the years to come!

I had no idea what the future held when I started Tom Dwyer Automotive Services all those years ago. I could never have imagined the growth we’ve had, or the support we’ve received over the years. I have no idea what the future holds today, only that it will be unimaginable as well. Whatever it brings, we’ll be right here to meet it with you, our Sellwood family and friends.

Make a great day,