Who’s Behind the Counter: Robert Slavikas at European Motors

Catonsville Patch: Your daughter, Dalia, recommended you for this column.  She is very proud of you.  How much has your family been involved in the business?

Robert Slavikas:  I have three daughters and the only one who has been directly involved is Julia.  She was at UMBC when we had an accident in the shop and I was injured.  She came in and helped me run the business.

Patch:  What happened?

Slavikas:  A mechanic left a car we were working on in gear and when it was started up, it sprang forward and smashed me against the wall.  I got to ride in a helicopter from the high school.  My pelvis was crushed and I spent three months in a wheelchair.

People don’t realize how physical and demanding and even dangerous this work is.  You’re on your feet all day, working with your hands over your head, underneath cars, and squeezed into small spaces to try to work around the problem.

Patch:  How long have you been in business in Catonsville?

Slavikas:  When I first came to the United States in 1986, I spoke hardly any English, but I knew how to fix cars.  I had my wife and my twin girls to take care of, and I got a job as a mechanic in Tyson’s Corner.  When we saved up enough to buy a house, the closest place we could afford was Arbutus.  So we moved here and I commuted to Virginia for a while, but then I decided to open my own shop.  That was 1992.

Patch:  How did you establish a business without any connections in the community?

Slavikas:  I spent a lot of time working.  I made up flyers and put them on people’s cars; I put notices on bulletin boards in the grocery stores.  But really, honesty is the best advertising. 

Patch:  How has the business changed over time?

Slavikas:  Computers and technology have changed how we diagnose a problem, but we still have to do the repairs.

Also, cars have a lot more gizmos now; there’s more luxury, but they break a lot too.

Patch:  What was the most unusual repair you’ve ever done?

Slavikas:  This wasn’t exactly a repair but it was one of the most unusual things we’ve ever done.  A customer bought an antique car at auction, and when it came, the whole thing was in boxes.  It was like a 3-D car puzzle.  It took us several months to put it together.

Patch:  What is the most impressive car you’ve ever worked on?

Slavikas:  When I worked in Tyson’s Corner, there I saw cars!  Here, it was a Rolls Royce; it kind of blows you away a little bit.

Patch:  What is the most important thing people should know about maintaining their car?

Slavikas:  I tell my customers all the time:  maintenance is less expensive than repair.  People think if their vehicle’s not broken, there’s no need to bring it in, but regular maintenance is key.  And it’s not only cost, it’s safety as well.

Patch:  What do you think was the best car ever made?

Slavikas:  I believe in the Mercedes a lot, but not the Mercedes of today, the older ones, from the 80s.  I’m looking from a practical point of view.  It’s not the prettiest car, but it is the best made.

[Editor's note: The author had this exact car, and it was great unless you were trying to lay down rubber or drag race.  It was stolen out of the driveway, and the kids abandoned it less than a mile away.]

Patch:  What do you find most challenging about your work?

Slavikas:  I never know what the day is going to bring.  A simple problem can turn into the biggest nightmare.  You also have to be up to date with a wide range of different makes, models, and systems.  Those things are challenging, but they’re fun for me.

A bigger challenge is that this is a negative business.  If people are calling me, they have a problem.  It’s going to cost them money; it’s going to cause them inconvenience.  Plus, I bring people bad news.  It’s not like a restaurant where people are spending money but they’re having fun.  That part is hard.

Patch:  What are you proud of?

Slavikas:  I don’t think about myself that way, but I guess I can be proud that with all the long hours I spent working and running the business, sometimes not getting home until 10 or 11 o’clock at night, I have good girls and they grew up okay.

Patch:  What’s your favorite thing about your work?

Slavikas:  It’s not only cars I like working with, I like people too.  People need to trust their mechanic, and sometimes they need me to help them understand the problem and to make hard decisions.  I enjoy my relationships with my customers and feeling like I can help them.

Patch:  What are you looking forward to?

Slavikas:  Retirement!  I would like to get to the point where I work on the business and not in the business.  I like to teach my guys whatever I can.  Anthony [Combs] is young and energetic and honest.  He is a manager now and I’m hoping to spend a little more time with my family here and at home in Lithuania.

Patch:  What's been the best piece of advice that someone has given you when it comes to running a business over the years? 

Slavikas:  I learned everything the hard way, by making mistakes, and I made quite a few of them!  It’s easy for people to give advice, but when you make a mistake, you really learn.

I believe in people and that’s what keeps me going.