Some Belleville Auto Repair Shops Get Sales Increase

Many motorists across the country are choosing to ride out the rocky economic recovery by getting their aging vehicles fixed rather than buying new cars, according to local auto repair shops and a national group that represents them.

“In the past year, volume has increased and they are not necessarily new cars. They are nine to 10 years old,” said Phil Lapilusa, manager of the Riverside Body & Fender Works, Inc., located at 221 Valley Street in Belleville.

Riverside has experienced a 30 percent increase because people “would rather spend a little money and fix them,” he said.

This is borne out in statistics released last year by the Automotive Service Association, which represents the industry.

The report cites a survey by R.L. Polk, an automotive research firm, which states that the average age of an American vehicle last year was 10.2 years old compared to nine years old in 2009.

Basically people are keeping their cars longer, the ASA report states. And with that, an increase in sales for auto repair and service businesses.

“Sixty percent noted an increase in profit, another 59 percent said they saw growth in their customer base, and 51 percent had an increase in monthly repair orders compared to last year,” read the ASA report on mechanical repairs and service. “Decreases in profits were experienced by 27 percent.”

In the 2009 report, 43 percent noticed an increase in profits from the previous year while 39 percent experienced a decrease. A 2008 report was not available on the ASA website.

Lapilusa noted that back in 2008, during the midst of the recession, business dropped off because people were fearful of the economic situation.

“You do have a certain percentage of people who get into accidents and spend the insurance money on groceries instead,” he said about incidents that left cars with mostly surface damages. “They will eventually come back.”

, said they have also experienced an increase in business with a five to eight percent jump this year compared to the same quarter in 2010.

“People are intending to fix their vehicles,” Gaccione said.

If anything, the flow of easy credit and the abundant leasing options on new vehicles were hurting auto repair businesses before the banking crunch, Gaccione said. It was so easy in the past for people to trade in an old car and get a new one.

“Banks were putting out money left and right. The banks were hurting us tremendously,” he said.

Sal Munoz, a worker at Barbone’s Service Center at 119 Franklin Street, said the repair shop has also experienced an increase in sales compared to last year. But then again, like any business, they will have their slow days, normal days, and very busy days.

“This is a roller coaster,” he said about the auto repair industry.