July/August 2019

supported me through whatever courses I needed to go through. "I'm not saying I did it in the most efficient manner, I probably did the wrong courses in the wrong order, I did what tickled my fancy as opposed to learning the basics first. However, he never once said you can't go on that one. Over the years, with experience, I have learned more and more. We have invested in quite a few of the dealer tools. Word has gotten around and now we are the go-to-place for the complicated faults." How the wheel turns. Different way While he had his hand firmly on the technical side early on, it was only in the last few years that Craig found himself on the business side of the business, and he had to learn quickly: "Four years ago, my dad had a L ike many garages based in small towns, Monksbridge Garage has been a local fixture for longer than the current owners have been in charge: "It used to be a heavy goods garage back in the 1960s," explained Craig Hewison, Manager at the business, based in Dinnington, South Yorkshire. Within one fixture is another, one that has found new life in a new era: "As a consequence of the garage's former life, we have got an enormous pit. This means we do a lot of motorhomes because no one else in the area can deal with them." Alongside this ominous-sounding but actually-useful feature, the business operates two ramps and a MOT bay. The full complement is three full-time technicians, and two part- time that work opposite each other. "We stay busy, but we don't advertise - it is primarily long-time customers that have children who are also our customers, and they are the kids of the customers we used to have." Efficient The business has been with the family for 17 years, but their connection goes back further: "My dad, Peter, has always been in the motor trade and he used to be a customer here. He came in one day for an MOT, and Geoff, who was the owner at the time, said he was thinking about packing it in and selling up. My dad showed an interest, so he came to work with him for a few years, to get to know the business and also to get to know the customers, and to get his MOT testing license and what-not. My dad worked with Geoff for four years, and when Geoff retired, my dad took over from him. As he finished on the Saturday I started on the Monday as an apprentice. It was just me and my 58 AFTERMARKET JULY/AUGUST 2019 GARAGE VISIT www.aftermarketonline.net CUSTOMER FIRST: MONKSBRIDGE GARAGE Above: Craig (L) and his father, Peter (R) Aftermarket pokes its head into Monksbridge Garage to visit Top Technician 2019 semi finalist Craig Hewison dad. It has gone from that to where we are now. "My dad is still here but he is only part time, just two days a week.” Craig laughed: “He does the MOTs, annoys everybody and goes home!" The business had to move with the times: "When we started the garage was like the Black Hole of Calcutta. We had the whole place rewired and everything." Craig moved with the times too: "Early on, whenever anything came in with a management light on, or emissions on MOT or anything, it had to go to another garage in the area- the one where the guy was known for doing that sort of stuff. Everything just got sent there. One day I said 'instead of sending it out all the time, what would it take for me to learn all this stuff? ' My dad said 'find yourself whatever you need to do' and he