Grand Rapids Auto Repair

The Spring That Wasn't Does anyone else feel like we just skipped over Spring 2020? No Spring break. No vacations, graduations, or family reunions. It was odd in the automotive repair world as we usually are busy with vehicle inspections for long trips and checking air conditioning systems for the upcoming warmer weather. None of these things were necessary. The A/C system didn't really matter because most vehicles weren't leaving their driveway, no matter the weather. You know what wasn't canceled? Time with family and the opportunity to get to the things on your 'home repair' list that you had put off until life slowed down. And then it did. Not by our choice, but it all came to a standstill for many people. With the many challenges that these times brought, they also brought some clarity to the things that were important.  Spring still showed up and the weather seemed to be similar to everything in 2020 so far. Unpredictable ... read more

Hi and welcome to my blog! I took a bit of a sabbatical that went a little longer than planned. Anyway, I’m glad you’re here! A little bit about me. I’m married to Jeff, one of the owners of Arie Nol Auto Center. Jeff has been here since 1976 when his dad, Arie Nol, started the business. I came on board in 2000 when Jeff purchased the business from his family. I have to admit up front that I don’t love cars but I do love business and people. I do have a lot of car knowledge because I work with an amazing team that I continually learn from. While this is a blog for an automotive repair facility, it is not necessarily an ‘automotive blog’. What type of content can you expect? It depends. Some weeks, it will have information about what is happening at Arie Nol Auto Center (referred to internally as The ANAC), issues we’ve seen with vehicles that are common and ways to avoid them, and sometimes, just a conversation about whatever needs to be chat ... read more

My Dad owned his own business. My husband grew up in the small business we now own. My children all worked in our business and now work for family-owned or small businesses here in Grand Rapids. I've grown up knowing the impact of 'shop local'. Grand Rapids is blessed with so many small businesses. From furniture making to restaurants, we have some of the best. Our service industry is also full of electricians, plumbers, auto and collision repair. Many of the local business commercials on TV highlight the fact that they are family owned and operated. Some of the places have grown to sell nationally and internationally. Meijer, GFS, Amway, Steelcase etc. all started as local businesses. Why does this matter? Anyone can read the statistics about the impact shopping local has on the economy of your area. To me, it's personal. We pay our employees who then purchase goods and services in our area. When we as a company are able to use a local supplier or service provider, which i ... read more