Grand Rapids Auto Repair

The fun cars are getting ready to be put away for the winter. The sparkly, convertible, wind blowing through your hair on the way to the beach cars. The little two-seaters that bring a grin to your face as you sit in the driver’s seat. We see so many of the vehicles that are completely an emotional purchase. I love the stories! We’ve had cars that someone will bring in because their dad owned one and they remember those summers spent helping him wash it in the driveway or taking it out together for a ride. Some people purchase a car because they had a similar model when they were younger and want to relive that feeling. I feel that way about Corvairs. We had a Corvair when I was younger and I remember riding in it with my family. Unfortunately, everyone knows that they had engineering flaws back then and were dangerous. By the time the kinks were corrected and it was only a cute little sports car, the name was synonymous with horrible accidents. So, I will never own one bu ... read more

During the course of our day, we have many people in and out of our office. Customers, vendors, and salespeople are constantly walking in and out. There is research that shows that when you smile at someone, you’re not only making an impression on them but yourself as well. Smiling lowers stress and some research even suggests that you can improve your own mood just by smiling. We have a vendor that comes every day who is always smiling. When you ask him how he’s doing, he says, “I am peaceful.” Everything in his day has not gone perfectly as planned but he still smiles and says, “I am peaceful.” I am not always peaceful and he laughed when I mentioned that to him one day. His response was, “You woke up this morning and got out of bed. For that, you should be thankful.” He was right. On any given day, our computers may start acting up, parts didn’t arrive, frustration builds, the Internet is slow etc. Someone has a car that is towed in because it unexpectedly broke dow ... read more

My past four vehicles have been Volvo wagons. I don't even have children in soccer anymore, so the Volvo-driving-soccer-mom doesn't apply. When someone asks me what my favorite make of vehicle is, I don’t even have to think about it. Here's why: safety, comfort, outstanding engine-acceleration, and organization. If I ever met a Volvo engineer, I might act like a NASCAR fan meeting Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Jeff is hoping that never happens. Safety first
They're not flashy vehicles but they've been known for their safety innovations since they began. I had smaller children when I had my first Volvo and I liked the fact that they were a little bit safer in my car in case of an accident. Plus they have the option of built-in booster seats. Comfort
Not everyone is comfortable in a Volvo but the front seats fit a wide variety of heights, so it’s perfect for me. However, my sons are both six-feet plus and they impart their opinion of the l

... read more

I was shopping several years ago at a local clothing store that I love when I met Susan Brogger, the store manager. Naturally, we started talking about shoes, and one pair in particular I’d been trying on. But as the conversation progressed, I had learned that Susan just recently lost her mother to pancreatic cancer. She mentioned that she was partnering with the Van Andel Institute (VAI) and their Purple Community to start a fundraiser and asked if Arie Nol Auto Center would be interested in contributing. We did and we were so thankful for the opportunity to support someone who has taken the loss of a parent as a chance to support this local research facility. Susan’s story resonated with me so well because Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer have all impacted our family's life in the past several years. Since getting involved, we've had the pleasure of learning more about VAI and what they hope to accomplish in the future. And by us learning about the ways they im ... read more

Ratchet and Wrench is an automotive industry publication that we've enjoyed reading since its inception several years ago. The magazine tells the story of someone who runs, owns or works in the automotive repair industry. They give a description of how they overcame a problem within their business or approached something from a different angle, and came up with a unique solution or idea. We are really excited to be featured in an article in the September issue of Ratchet and Wrench. The focus of the article is Jeff's move from automotive technician to service advisor. It was a business decision that we made years ago as we grew the business. Jeff has always enjoyed working with customers, but in the past had worked mostly as a technician. It was a neat opportunity for us to share our story and hopefully encourage anyone that is currently trying to make a similar decision. We've been blessed with terrific employees who've contributed to our business in so many ways. They've ... read more