What is a true original?
Since 2015, we've been showcasing the True Originals at TRW whose dedication to excellence makes TRW parts the best on the market.
Now we want to shout about the True Originals in the aftermarket who share our dedication. Workshop owners and installers who take a real pride in what they do, who have clear ideas about what best practice is and have their own original ideas and solutions that make their garages stand out from the crowd.
That's why we created the TRW Original Workshops hub - to share and celebrate the stories of the aftermarket True Originals who use TRW aftermarket parts.
To launch Original Workshops, we met with Rui Almeida, Repair Shop Manager of A. H. Almeida, Bobedela, Portugal, and asked him how his family have built and maintained a successful original business.
Meet Rui
Rui inherited A H Almeida as an original workshop business established by his father. "It's precious," Rui says.
| "It's more than just a business - it's part of the family, part of my life." |
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The business began in the 1970s, and Rui has been a part of it from the beginning. "Like my brother, I followed in Dad's footsteps. I've been coming here since before I was born! I know that because we have an employee who still works here at the garage who used to take my mom to doctor's appointments at the hospital when she was pregnant with me. So was Rui's father keen to get his son into the business? "I think so. He's been bringing me here since I was a child so I guess he wasn't trying to put me off!"
Rui now runs the business in partnership with his brother, who manages the spare parts shops. As joint owners they now fully appreciate what their father created. "I think that, when we were younger, we took it for granted because the garage was always a part of our lives but now my brother and I are running it together we realize the hard work Dad must have put in. He is an inspiration to us."
With a precious family business and years of personal investment now in his hands, Rui is keen to make sure that A H Almeida stays successful and profitable. "What we always aim to do is to provide a quality service," Rui says, "but along with that we want to offer a fast service because that's what really makes customers happy. That doesn't mean rushing the work, it just means being very organized and efficient about how we schedule it and perform it. We also try to make customers lives easier by picking up their cars and returning them as soon as they're repaired. Customers really appreciate that. This is a competitive business and the only way to stay successful is to give customers an even better service than they expected."
So what makes Rui happy? "Seeing a smile on my customer's face. That makes me feel good, and, of course, its good for the business. And getting my hands on a vehicle. That's what I've always loved and always wanted to do. I've always loved taking vehicles apart and fixing them ever since I was a kid, watching my Dad, and I don't think I'll ever stop. If you're good at something you tend to enjoy it. I've been doing this a long time now and I know what I'm doing. And it's nice to be able solve people's problems AND do something I enjoy."
| "Seeing a smile on my customer's face. That makes me feel good, and, of course, its good for the business." |
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The automotive world is changing
How does Rui think that environmental concerns will change the aftermarket?
"One reason I love my job is that, as far as I'm concerned, it's an environmentally friendly job. Some people are surprised when I say that but let me explain. I don't just mean running a garage is environmental because electric and hybrid cars are coming on the scene. I mean because when you fix a problem with a car you're often making it more efficient, making it burn less fuel and leak less. And that helps the environment. So I'm looking forward to being able to bring more environmentally-friendly services to my customers. We'll be adopting them as soon as we can because it's better for the planet and it's better for our business to be prepared for the aftermarket of the future."
