New E.L. auto shop breaks fresh ground

Kat Petersen | The State News

Martin Washburne, owner of East Lansing Auto Pros, hugs his son, Kyle, 8, after Kyle cut the ribbon to officially open his father’s business to the public Sunday. East Lansing Auto Pros is located at 2700 E. Grand River Ave.

At 16 years old, Martin Washburne had no doubts about what he would be doing for a career.

When he bought his first car from a reputable local mechanic shortly after his birthday, Washburne decided to test out his new purchase on the highway. Only a few feet on the freeway, the car blew a head gasket and gradually coasted to a stop, leaving him stranded on the side of the road.

“It scared me to death,” Washburne said. “I said, ‘you know what, I’m going to know everything there is to know about cars. This will never happen to me again.’”

Washburne is the owner of East Lansing’s newest auto repair shop, East Lansing Auto Pros, 2700 E. Grand River Ave., which opened for business Monday. The shop will be a new benchmark in the way the mechanic business operates, he said.

As Washburne and his son cut the ribbon of his new shop during a grand opening ceremony Sunday evening, he said the goal he set 14 years ago finally was accomplished.

The auto repair business is littered with corporate shops and owners trying to squeeze every penny out of customers, which is killing the business, Washburne said.

“You run into similar mistakes along the way, particularly when greed becomes a problem,” he said. “You’ve got people that come up and you’re trying to build an honest repair shop for somebody, and you’ve got an owner coming up and crossing off your numbers and saying, ‘No, you’re going to try and make $100 more off of that.’ That’s just not right.”

Washburne said to accommodate cash-strapped students and East Lansing residents, the shop will charge no more than is required and will have special services such as a free examination when the “check engine” light comes on.

Other shops in the area could charge about $50 just to check under the hood, Washburne said.

“We’re not here to become millionaires,” he said. “We’re flexible. We’re negotiable. If you’re dealing with a financial situation, we’re going to do everything in our power to try and meet your financial needs.”

The shop also will allow students to pay online through PayPal, a payment service that Washburne said has never been utilized in the automotive business before.

The funding for East Lansing Auto Pros came from a family member living in Mexico, said Nancy Washburne, Martin’s mother. When Martin’s uncle Alfonso Ruiz-Soto, a well-known Mexican self-help guru whom Nancy referred to as the Dr. Phil of Mexico, learned Martin wanted to start his own business, he sent him a check for $125,000 complete with a personal message, Nancy said.

“(His uncle said), ‘I want you to have this money, and I want you to do it with joy,’” Nancy said.

Washburne’s business will stand out in an area packed with auto repair shops, said Steve Hankins, a district manager of AutoZone and friend of Washburne’s for nine years.

“He’s a tremendous individual and we’re just honored to be here and help him be successful,” Hankins said at the ceremony. “Marty is going to do fantastic.”