Since 1951, Lonsbury Garage in Angola has been offering complete automotive and truck repair services to the Steuben County community. Recently, garage owner Al Lockhart decided to sell the business to the shop’s manager, Stephan Cairl, who started his mechanic’s career with Lonsbury in 2005.
Cairl attended Lincoln College of Technology, where he completed his associate’s degree in Diesel Management. His experience includes time spent with Ryder Transportation as a shop supervisor for more than two years, and another eight years with Rush Truck Centers as a diesel technician and shop foreman. Two years ago, Cairl moved back to Northeast Indiana from Pittsboro, Indiana, and has since been working at Lonsbury Garage.
The young entrepreneur took ownership of Lonsbury Garage, located at 208 Mechanic Street, at the beginning of 2017, and is very proud of his new business. “We want the customer to feel at home when they visit our shop. We strive to keep the ‘hometown’ feel alive in our facility at all times,” he says, noting that the garage has maintained “an outstanding reputation over the years and will continue to do so,” while also cultivating the hometown attitude. “We strive to keep the customers’ vehicles safe and in excellent working condition. Customer safety is our No. 1 priority,” he said.
Lonsbury Garage services hybrids, domestics, and imports, and almost any make, model, or size of vehicle. The shop offers complete computer testing and diagnostics, tune-ups, HVAC repair, brake work, fuel injection cleaning, major engine repairs, and pre-purchase inspections. The garage, which specializes in fleet maintenance, also offers heavy-duty truck diagnostics and repairs, and Department of Transportation (DOT) inspections. Cairl believes that his background in fleet management, coupled with the experience of the rest of the shop’s five-man crew, puts Lonsbury Garage above the competitors when it comes to maintenance and management.
In the future, Cairl plans to expand the business by adding additional technicians, bringing in state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, and taking advantage of continuing education by sending his technicians to the latest training classes. He also has long-term goals of incorporating more fleet maintenance work with the anticipation of opening another location, and adding a fleet of rental trucks.
