Local repair shop marks 100th year in business

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Monday marks the 100 year anniversary for one Mobile auto repair business.

Its owner Wayne Holifield may be the last person to run the Ashland Garage, a 100 year old auto repair business on Old Shell Road.

“My son isn't interested in it or no one in my family, so it will kind of vaporize into the atmosphere unless someone else wants to take up a repair shop and keep it going for another hundred years,” said Holifield.

Holifield's father bought the Ashland Garage in 1975, from Paul Fearn.  Fearn's family opened the Ashland Place Garage October 1, 1912.

“He used to come over and tell me stories about the business and how the history developed and the name change from Ashland Place to Ashland Garage,” said Holifield, “A lot of the people in the Ashland Place area thought it was just for the wealthy people to go to.”

The Ashland Garage moved to the corner of Old Shell and Union in the 1980s.  Now, the Ashland Place Art Gallery operates on its former site.

“At one time, it was me, my brother, and my mother (running the garage.) We had a full-service service station, but economic times forced the gasoline end of it out,” said Holifield.

Holifield said a lot has changed in the auto repair business during his 37 year career.

He's worked on a lot of cars during that time.

“Now, it's all computerized. You have to hook your computer to them, today. Long years ago, you'd go out there and listen. Those days are gone,” said Holifield.

His customers keep calling him back to work each morning. Some have been with him his entire career.

“I can't answer (when it will close) because I'm going to keep hanging in here as long as I can,” said Holifield.  

He'll keep cranking the wrenches, though, to the end.