June 22, 2022—Automotive aftermarket service providers in Arizona are seeing the ups and downs of staffing demands.
According to the Daily Independent, the West Valley area seems to be seeing staffing shortages in more of the larger corporation entities whereas local shops are able to remain more steady in terms of staffing.
The article featured one local named John Jamison, who is the vice president of the company that runs Greulich’s Automotive Repair.
Greulich has 20 locations around the Valley area, and is one of the oldest family-owned auto repair businesses with more than three locations in the area, according to Jamison.
Jamison shared that they retain employees by funneling more funds into payroll, sponsoring a student in a local college automotive program, prioritizing training and learning for employees, and more.
“Not only does everyone who comes to work for us get ASE certified, but you have to keep that training going,” Jamison said in the article. “If you don’t keep bringing in new knowledge, and stay sophisticated and current, you can’t keep up.”
In addition to staying up with the times, Jamison said that another important thing is ensuring that those who are interested in the automotive field understand the dedication and work ethic required to thrive.
The article cited a statistic from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that said there will be, on average, about 69,000 openings for automotive technicians and mechanics through the rest of this decade. This means that staffing should be top-of-mind for then entire aftermarket to consider.
