In this episode of Auto Pros On The Road, Joe Keene and Jacqui Van Ham visit Darin Ode at Ode’s Auto Repair and Tires in Warren, MI.
Founded in 1969, Ode Auto Repair and Tire is a fixture in the Detroit area. The business began when owner Larry Ode had a dream to stop working for other companies and start his own. According to his son, Darin, Larry had a great reputation with customers who encouraged him to open his own facility. Despite having only a 9th-grade education and $900 to his name, Larry took a leap of faith. With his loving wife Mary and four very young boys, Dave, Dan, Darin, and Derrick, Larry brought a more personal approach to automotive repairs and tire sales.
Through the years, Ode Auto Repair and Tire has grown from a small two bay tire store to a full service center with 11 bays. Today, Darin Ode runs the business and carries on his father’s tradition of educating customers to help them make the right choice when it comes to auto repairs and finding the perfect tire. Darin’s son, Armando Valentin, is the third generation to be offering full-service auto repairs in Warren, as well as the nearby communities of Roseville and St Clair Shores, MI.
Ode Auto Repair and Tire is a NAPA Gold Certified Auto Care Center as well as a Rent-A-Wreck rental car facility. Ode, who serves on the Rent-A-Wreck board of directors, says having a fleet of rental cars available to his customers has been invaluable to his business, particularly as business increased during the pandemic.
The facility, formerly a Hudson Automobile dealership built in the 1930s, the heyday of automotive development in Detroit, has been recently renovated (thanks to a surprise Extreme Makeover conducted by Armando). The shop has 11 bays for full automotive repair, tire service and alignments and oil changes. It has a spacious customer waiting area with a children’s play area, information center and vending machines.
Auto Pros On the Road showcases stories of automotive aftermarket service professionals. Throughout the series, presented by ShopOwner in collaboration with our sister brand TechShop – Equipment, Tools & Supplies, viewers follow the Auto Pros into repair shops as they speak with shop owners and technicians about their challenges, their stories and their values.
This episode is sponsored by Fram.
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