Paul Leavy/The Valdosta Daily Times

VALDOSTA — From working at an established car dealership to being self-employed, Robbie DeLoach is making a new name for himself.

Boasting over 20 years of automotive experience, he can now add business owner to his resume.

Located at 3122-B N. Oak St. Ext., DeLoach Automotive is small in stature but promises to be grand in service.

Robbie DeLoach, a former Valdosta Toyota company employee, has been open for business since Feb. 16, and so far business has been steady.

“Business has been pretty good,” said Robbie DeLoach’s wife, Michelle DeLoach. “Robbie was previously working at Valdosta Toyota … and so a lot of those customers have been coming here because of him.”

According to staff, the community has responded well to Robbie DeLoach’s change in location, and new customers are being added daily.

“Everybody’s been stopping by to check us out,” said Michelle DeLoach. “People have been stopping along the street and asking about us, and that’s without advertisement. So, we’re hoping that it continues to pick up.”

Robbie DeLoach, a Valdosta native, reports that due to a change in ownership he had to find new employment or a place to call his own.

“I was with Toyota for the last 20 years,” he said.

“I’ve been in the business for a long time, and I know that I can offer my customers great service,” he added. “I wanted to have a business where everyone would know your name and where your word meant something. Here, at DeLoach Automotive, you’re a name, not a number.”

Because DeLoach Automotive sits across the street from Wal-Mart, as well as next door to the Jungle Jym’s Family Fun Center, customers have a variety of options while waiting for their automobile to be serviced or repaired. They can shop, grab a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant or play.

“We’re centrally located, convenient, and readily available for shopping,” said Robbie DeLoach. “We can drop the customer off at Wal-Mart or any nearby business while they wait.”

Robbie DeLoach is already busy making plans to expand the shop to accommodate more customers and offer more services. Within the next three years, he hopes to even build a shop of his own.

“During the next few months, April or May, I plan on opening a used car lot,” said Robbie DeLoach. “That way, if someone wanted a car, I could sell it and service it for them.”

Family owned and operated, DeLoach Automotive works with both individuals and businesses.



Q: How long have you been in business?



A: We opened Feb. 16 of this year.



Q: Do you have a customer waiting area?



A: Yes, but we’re hoping to expand that as well. If customers don’t like to wait, we offer shuttle services in the Valdosta area to nearby stores and businesses.



Q: What services do you normally offer? Do you extend those services to towing?



A: There’s nothing that we don’t do. We offer oil changes, tire rotations and alignments, brake repair, electrical and air conditioning repairs, and a variety of other routine maintenance for passenger cars and trucks. We’re a complete automotive repair shop. We do it all. We even work with insurance and extended warranty companies.



Q: What’s your formula for success?



A: Tell the truth. Tell the customer what’s truly wrong with the vehicle and give them the option to take your suggestion. The ultimate decision to fix the car is theirs.



Q: Do you take emergency calls?



A: Yes. We’ll also offer to have the vehicle towed to our shop for repair.



DeLoach Automotive

Address: 3122-B N. Oak St. Ext., Valdosta

Phone: (229) 244-2421

Hours: Open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.