A longtime auto repair shop in Harrison has reopened under new management — and a bit of divine intervention, according to the new owners.
Ekas Auto Care along Freeport Road was purchased by Ashley and Ryan Stadelmaier of Freeport, both veterans who served as U.S. Army helicopter technicians.
“My husband has been a mobile repairman for the last six years,” Ashley said. “He would go to people’s houses and fix cars, and every now and then, he would have an engine in our garage at home.”
A friend reached out with news that the former owner of Ekas Auto Care, Kerry Ekas, retired at the end of last year and hoped to sell the business.
“It was a sign,” Ashley said. “It turns out that Kerry was my husband’s late father’s best friend.
“It’s like there’s an angel watching over us.”
The repair shop along the township’s main drag, not too far from McDonald’s, reopened in mid-February after a brief closure. Ekas closed in December after 26 years.
Ryan, who graduated from Deer Lakes High School, was well-connected in the trade after having run Complete Mobile Repair in recent years. He also is a fleet manager at Davey Trees.
“This is a huge step forward, and it wouldn’t have been possible without every single customer who trusted me to come to their home, job or roadside when you needed help the most,” Ryan said in a Facebook post to announce the new business.
The store will retain the Ekas name temporarily, until the new owners find their groove, Ashley said.
As for what services the shop offers, their motto speaks for itself: “We will provide a wide range of services with pretty much anything that has an engine.”
In addition to auto care such as diagnostics, oil changes and tire rotations, the staff is adept at vehicle customization and period maintenance that includes suspension, lighting and audio, engine repairs and drive trains. They’ll even service lawn equipment.
When the Stadelmaiers moved from Texas to Freeport in 2015, Ashley returned to school and earned a master’s degree in business administration from Slippery Rock University.
“I was working at a manufacturing company and felt like I was at the top of my game,” she said. “Then, plot twist.”
In February, she quit her job to become manager at the auto body shop.
Ryan, whose passion for cars and trucks began as a child, has been working in the industry his whole life.
The garage, he said, just comes with bigger goals.
“Cars, trucks, trailers, lawn mowers, snow blowers, quads, sport utility vehicles and pretty much anything with an engine are things I’ve repaired/serviced in the past and will continue to do,” he said.
The family said it is appreciative of the previous owner’s help in transitioning the garage. Ekas provided his customer list with the sale, Ashley said.
“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, we just want people to know that we’re trustworthy and we know what we’re doing,” she said.
A grand re-opening is planned for July.
Already, people are stopping by.
“You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who’ve come in and said they knew Ryan as a little boy,” Ashley said. “We just feel it’s a crazy turn of fate.”