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McElhinney’s Service
Professional Automotive Service at its
Finest.
McElhinney’s Service is
the winner of our summer 2003 Great Places
contest, but after sitting down for an interview
with owner Art McElhinney, Jr., it became clear
that we could not have made a better choice for
InWestmoreland’s Great Places if we had tried.
McElhinney’s Service is a full-service garage
located in Murrysville right at the intersection
of Routes 380 and 286. Since its opening in
November of 1983, the business has been growing
steadily, both in terms of customers served and
the expansion of the original building from a
traditional service station to the
state-of-the-art, six bay shop it is today.
Visitors cannot help but be impressed by the
cleanliness of the place and the professionalism
of Art’s mechanics. Nothing could be further
from the clichéd image of dark and greasy bays
than McElhinney’s clean, bright service areas
and uniformed, attentive staff.
Specializing in many areas of automotive repair,
McElhinney’s Service provides all the standards,
from vehicle inspection and oil changes to tune
ups and tire replacement. They are also skilled
in air conditioning, front-end alignments,
custom pipe bending, and welding. McElhinney’s
Service stocks over 150 tires, and has same day
service for any brand needed, all while
promising to meet or beat anyone else’s price.
Struts, shocks, brakes, and fuel injection
service: they do it all, covering more services
under one roof than you will find at many
competitors. They even provide flat-bed towing
and will look over any used car you are thinking
of purchasing, making you aware of its worth and
your best options to get the most for your
money.
As important as the technical skills of Art’s
mechanics is his company philosophy. Art
McElhinney, Jr. summed it up in a few short
sentences. “We can’t always tell you what you
want to hear, but we can always tell you the
truth,” he said. “Integrity is the key. No one
comes back unless you treat them fairly. We may
not be the cheapest on the block, be we will
give you a straight up job at a fair price.”
The proof of Art’s sentiments are easy to see,
as customers from Westmoreland County, Plum and
Murrysville, New Kensington and Apollo line up
outside the bays. People who have moved up to an
hour away still return for service, unwilling to
trust their cars to anyone else. At McElhinney’s,
customers are not treated like numbers, and this
is one place where everybody knows your name. In
fact, McElhinney’s biggest source of new
customers is from an ongoing referral program,
where new clients receive $5.00 off their bill.
For those who bring in new customers, every
successful referral adds a $5.00 credit toward
their next service call.
“We have never had people sign work orders,” Art
continued. “It’s important to let them know
their options and how much each will cost. The
customer makes the final decision, and then we
do the very best we can.”
Art has been doing the best job possible since
he owned his own lawn mower repair service as a
teenager. He has worked in coalmines and at
installing cabinets, and he was on his way to a
degree in electrical engineering when the
opportunity to purchase a little service station
known as “Manordale” came up. At the time, with
a wife and children to support, it seemed a good
opportunity to take things into his own hands
and make a secure living.
After running the station as a Texaco for
sixteen years, Art had the pumps removed and
refocused the business on providing automotive
service and repairs, a move that has been very
successful. Today he employs five mechanics, as
well as his daughter Adrienne who works full
time in the office and Art’s wife Beth, who
helps out part-time.
In 1999, Art McElhinney, Jr. was bitten by the
racing bug and could be frequently seen at
Jennerstown Speedway and the Motordrome. In 1999
he was Rookie of the Year and in 2000 Most
Improved Driver. This explains the racecar logo
prominent on referral slips, the many racing
pictures on the website, and the large
bas-relief sculpture of car 77 hanging in the
garage’s waiting room. While still an
enthusiast, Art admits his racing days are on
hiatus, at least for a year or two. His day job
has just become too busy, and he cannot let down
the customers who have given him such great
success.
For all of your automotive service needs, give
McElhinney’s Service a try; they have the
experienced technicians, advanced automotive
diagnostic equipment, and the people skills to
make your visit an enjoyable one.
McElhinney’s Service is
located at the intersection of Routes 380 and
286.
One of Westmoreland County’s most skilled
and
customer oriented service stations.
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