Quality Plus Automotive - March 2020

March 2020

Our Automotive Journey From High School Sweethearts to Business Partners

an insurance company, handling their payroll and compiling their quarterly reports. This experience set her up perfectly to handle the bookkeeping side of Quality Plus Automotive Service.

We’ve worked hard over the years to build the culture we have at Quality Plus Automotive Service. We love helping those in our community get from point A to point B safely by taking the time to understand the needs of our customers and ensuring we fix their vehicle right the first time. Randy grew up in Zebulon, which is a very rural community outside of Raleigh, North Carolina. When he wasn’t in school, he was helping his dad on their 25-acre farm. While he learned the basics of mechanics from his father, he learned the ins and outs of the car business

After eight years working for the Honda dealership, Randy ventured to an independent shop owned by three of his old coworkers. Here, Randy got his first close look at what it’s like running an independent company. During this time, Randy took on many responsibilities necessary to make the shop successful. When he wasn’t working on the vehicles, he enjoyed answering any questions the customers had.

We’ve come a long way from the people we were when we were high school sweethearts, and we’re proud of the life we’ve built.

from his uncle. Whenever Randy’s uncle needed help at his shop, Randy and his father were always ready to lend a hand. Jill grew up on the other side of town, but they’ve known each other since kindergarten and got married right out of high school.

While Randy had a lot of fun working for his old coworkers, like any entrepreneur, he was restless. He wanted to make sure customers’ vehicles were serviced properly the first time and that customers had a pleasant experience throughout the entire process. When Randy services a car, he doesn’t think necessarily about the vehicle but rather the family that uses it. He’s very meticulous and goes the extra mile to ensure customers’ cars are ready for anything. When he needs to service an engine, he will check the brakes, tires, and electrical components. Randy wanted to make this level of care the standard, so to ensure he could control not only the service but also his own destiny, he struck out on his own.

To make ends meet after graduation, Randy got a job at a local Honda motorcycle shop repairing bikes. But on a coworker’s recommendation, Randy ended up working as a mechanic at a local Honda dealership for steady work. During that time, the gas crunch was on, so people were looking for fuel-efficient cars, and Hondas fit the bill. The popularity of Hondas skyrocketed in the area, and with every new model, Randy continued to learn more about the cars and the industry. While Randy was working for the dealership, Jill was learning the ropes of the administration side of business. Most notably, she worked for

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Wake Forest • 919.453.0345 — Raleigh • 919.231.6164

Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com

Your Spring S Is Your Car Road Ready?

... continued from Cover

When Quality Plus Automotive Service opened their doors, Randy was still mostly a one-man band, but knowing the shop was theirs made all the difference. “We never felt like we had any other choice but to make it work, so the entire family banded together,” Randy says. He worked on the vehicles both morning and night and assisted customers during the day. When Jill wasn’t bookkeeping for the business, she was keeping the family afloat by taking the kids to school, running them to doctor’s appointments, and helping them with homework. Today, they have two locations and a fleet of well- trained professional automotive technicians and front-end staff. Randy has instilled a high level of care in their entire workforce. He personally knows that his staff helps at least three generations of customers. He knows some customers’ kids, grandkids, and even great-grandkids. Their oldest son, Josh, chose to join the family business and has worked his way up as general manager, assisting with day-to-day tasks for both shop locations. When out of the office, Randy is a golf junkie and Jill loves to play the piano, but their favorite thing to do is listen to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and play with their five grandkids. It’s refreshing for Randy and Jill to spend time with their grandkids because it reminds them how important it is to be optimistic and grateful for what they have. “While we don’t live very far from where we grew up, we’ve come a long way from the people we were when we were high school sweethearts, and we’re proud of the life we’ve built.” -Randy & Jill Bunn

S pring is finally here, so odds are you’re eager to hit the road for fun vacations and road trips. Whether you’re heading to the highway for an adventure or for your 8 a.m. commute, you should check few things before your rubber meets the road. First, make sure to check your tire pressure once a month, or every couple of weeks because when the air gets colder at night, it gets denser and can change your tire pressure. Be sure to check the wear on your tires as well. A general rule of thumb is if your tire tread is worn down to 2/32 of an inch, then your tires need to be replaced. To check this, you can put a penny in the tread depth with Lincoln facing you. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, it’s time to get your tires changed. Any balding increases your risk of getting a flat or skidding when you need to stop.

Happy Birthday!

March Birthdays

Brad Hall, Service Manager at Raleigh

Chris Adkins, Technician at Wake Forest

Keith Bailey, Technician at Wake Forest

Josh Bunn, General Manager

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Staff Spotlight

fety Checklist Along with your tires, check for streaks on your windshield when you use your wipers. The last thing you need is to realize you need new windshield wipers when you’re in the middle of a rainstorm. Always check your coolant levels as well before heading out for a long trip. If your coolant levels are low, your engine may overheat, causing severe engine damage. After you check your coolant levels, be sure to check your oil levels. Low oil levels can cause your engine to seize up if it’s not addressed as soon as possible. This could lead to extensive repairs or even a complete engine replacement. Finally, before starting your trip, do a quick walk around your vehicle. If you see a tire slightly lower than the rest or a rearview mirror askew, address those issues before starting your car. Take a peek inside, too, to make sure nothing can roll around in your vehicle. This will lower the risk of anything getting stuck under your pedals, impairing your ability to stop or accelerate. This checklist should go a long way toward keeping you safe, but if you have any questions or concerns regarding the health of your vehicle as you prepare for spring trips, never hesitate to reach out. Call us anytime at 919-453-0345 for our Wake Forest location or 919- 231-6164 for our Raleigh location. You can also visit our website at QualityPlusAutomotive.com. wordscramble naessc mrhadm *Hint: Two Words Think you know the answer?

Celebrating Our Team Members’ Work Anniversaries!

We would like to showcase some of our technicians and service managers who are celebrating work anniversaries this month. Our staff is the backbone of our company, and we don’t knowwhere we would be without them. We are so grateful for their hard work and ability tomake miracles happen as they fix andmaintain our customers’vehicles. Nomatter how big of a project they must handle, they tackle it with a positive attitude and don’t let anything get in their way. Chris Outland

Chris is a technician at ourWake Forest location and is celebrating 10 years with Quality Service Automotive Service! He’s a native to Granville County and graduated from South Granville High School. After graduation, Chris received a scholarship for baseball to attend Louisburg

College for pitching, where he studied business management. After college, Chris started working for his late grandfather’s automotive business where his career in the automotive industry began 20 years ago. He married his wife Stacy in 2009, and they have two daughters, Carson, 8, and Sadie, 4. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, boating, and traveling with his family. Anna Duehring Anna is the marketing director for both shop locations and is celebrating four years with Quality Plus Automotive Service. She’s the one behind all the marketingmadness, helping to grow the business and stay engaged with our customers and in our communities. Anna moved here from NewYork and likes to take full advantage of the warmer days here in North Carolina. When she’s not working, she enjoys exercising, crafting, traveling, and spending time friends and family. She recently got married in Hilton Head Island, SC (a true love for the beach life) and is excited to see what the future has in store for her and her new hubby. Scott Burgess

Scott is a service manager at ourWake Forest location and is celebrating five years with Quality Service Automotive Service! If you’ve seen himon the service floor, you would not suspect he has a life outside of spending time with his

family, which is so important to Scott. He enjoys his“me”time as well. This includes hiking, camping, and fishing. He’s a simple man with simple needs, but really he just enjoys being happy! Keith Bailey

Scan the QR code or go to lp.constantcontact.com/su/ Klu9jyg/QPAMarchScramble to submit your guess. All those with the CORRECT answer will be entered to win a $25 Visa gift card! **Submissions must be entered by March 30, 2020, to be valid.

Keith is a technician at our Wake Forest location and is celebrating one year with Quality Service Automotive Service! He was born and raised inWestbrook, Maine. He joined the Marine Corps in 1977 and served until 1984

when he was discharged at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Keith made his way to Raleigh through working at dealerships and private automotive repair shops. He met his wife in Goldsboro where she was attending college, and they’re celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. Since 1997, he has enjoyed spending a bit of his spare time as the sound person for the worship band at his church, Raleigh Vineyard. Cars and music take a close second place to his wife!

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Wake Forest 919.453.0345 Raleigh 919.231.6164

QualityPlusAutomotive.com 1601 Heritage Commerce Ct. Wake Forest, NC 27587

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INSIDE This Issue

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From High School Sweethearts to Business Partners Is Your Car Road Ready? Solve This Puzzle, Get a Visa Gift Card! Celebrating Our Staff’s Work Anniversaries! Fearless Women Who Pioneered Motor Sports

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From Zero to 300 Meet the Women Who Pioneered Motor Sports

While Danica Patrick and Courtney Force are well known as modern faces in motor sports, they’re far from the first women to cross the finish line. Since the early 1900s, women have been a constant fixture of automotive racing, including the following three who each left their marks on the sport. Shirley Muldowney Shirley Muldowney is professionally known in the drag racing community as “The First Lady of Drag Racing.” In 1973, she was the first woman to earn a Top Fuel license from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and, despite backlash from competitors, went on to win the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series an unprecedented three times. Twentieth Century Fox documented her trials and accomplishments in the 1983 biopic “Heart Like a Wheel.”Muldowney famously loathed her own characterization but still lauded the film as required viewing for anyone interested in the sport of drag racing. Janet Guthrie Janet Guthrie had her sights set on the stars from day one. A skilled aerospace engineer, she began her racing career in 1963. After taking home two class wins in the famed 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race, Guthrie became a well-known figure among racing gurus. In 1976, she

became the first woman to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series when she finished

15th in the Coca-Cola 600, then called the World 600. To date, Guthrie’s storied career has landed her in the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and the Automotive Hall of Fame. Dorothy Levitt Dorothy Levitt is known for her driving skills on both land and water, setting the first water speed record and an early women’s world land speed record. Her motor racing career started slow in 1904 due to illness and various car troubles, but Levitt eventually went on to garner a reputation for her speed and earn the nickname “The Fastest Girl on Earth.”When she wasn’t racing, she spent her time writing. In her book “The Woman and the Car,” Levitt recommended that women carry a small mirror with them for driving in traffic, effectively inventing the rearview mirror five years before it went into production. If you want to learn more about these women and others in motor racing, pick up Todd McCarthy’s book “Fast Women: The Legendary Ladies of Racing.”

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Family-Owned & Operated Since 1984