AUTOMOTIVE
AARS Spotlight:
Mike’s Auto Service
By Anne Marshall
Mike's Auto Service celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF MIKE’S AUTO SERVICE
LOOKING FOR A RELIABLE MECHANIC?
You’ve come to the right place. Every issue, we spotlight a member of the CAA Approved Auto Repair Services™ (AARS) program. These companies must have been in business for at least two years and offer quality service at a fair price. They provide exclusive perks and benefits for Members, including a one-year, 20,000 kilometre warranty on parts and labour, plus you earn three percent in CAA Dollars® on the total invoice amount (before taxes for parts and labour).
This issue, we motored over to Thorold to put the spotlight on Mike’s Auto Service.
Mike Saporito (left) and Peter Sirianni at the shop. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF MIKE’S AUTO SERVICE
FROM THE MOMENT you enter the lobby, it’s apparent that the people behind Mike’s Auto Service love cars. Smiles welcome you from behind the service desk, where dozens of colourful model cars of different makes and eras are on display. Asked what made him want to start working on cars in the first place, founder Mike Saporito lights up like the kid he was as he recalls watching his older brother tinkering with cars in the driveway.
Helping his brother out was fun, but enrolling in auto shop classes in high school drew out his talent and passion for the work. After apprenticeship and licensing, he was more than ready when, in May of 1990, an ideal location on a central corner in Thorold “fell into [his] lap.” That’s when Mike’s Auto Service was born.
Celebrating his 35th business anniversary this year, Saporito is proud of the fact that some of his current customers date back right from the beginning. “I’ve got a lot of them,” he says, and can even name a client who came in day one. “Then, 10 to 15 years later, his kids are coming in, and their spouses. Soon enough, possibly their grandkids!”
Peter Sirianni, Saporito’s business partner, joined him as a co-op student right out of a local high school — and while neither of the men seems old enough to share a few decades of history, he’s been working at Mike’s for 20 years, the last six as a co-owner.
Cars have long been a part of Sirianni’s life, too. “My dad always had classic cars, so that sparked my interest.” Both men are more involved in the business side of things now, with a full staff of seven licensed mechanics and technicians working on all types of vehicles in six service bays. But Sirianni happily admits that there are still situations that make them want to get their hands dirty.
“Any nice exotic car that comes in, we like to handle ourselves. Make sure everything’s done perfectly.” Earning the trust of their clientele is a core value at Mike’s Auto. Both Sirianni and Saporito are proud of the fact that they consistently receive good reviews from customers online, and that their reputation is built on honesty, quality work and word of mouth from their loyal clientele. As Sirianni’s puts it, “I like interacting with people — being able to save them money on repairs, and [making] them happy. Then they keep coming back, because they’re happy with the service.”
Sirianni, Saporito and their entire team believe that they are providing a good service to the local community — especially meaningful in a community that has strong ties to the automotive industry. Whether you’re driving Saporito’s first car (a Toyota Corolla) or a rare, exotic, electric or classic vehicle, they want to do what’s best for you and your ride. Even if that ride is a DeLorean — which is one car they haven’t had the chance to work on yet — your wheels are in good hands at Mike’s. “We might even give it back,” says Saporito, with a wink. CAA