When Hudson & Mowins was founded in 1946, there was one car bay, a very small shop and the hurdles of being a new business to overcome. 63 years later the business, which has remained in the Hudson family through three generations, has more than doubled in both size and clientele, with eight bays, a two-story shop and office space and an ever-expanding customer base.
Owner Greg Hudson, grandson of the founder, describes it as a “premiere shop” and from the looks of things, he’s right. For six years running, they have been awarded the AAA Top Shop award.
“We run a one-stop shop. From brakes to tires to emissions, we can handle it,” said Hudson, who has run the shop with his wife Cathy since 2002. “It offers our customers a convenience that is often hard to find.”
The level and variety of service they provide means customers can get a nationwide warranty through Hudson & Mowins or maintain their new car warranty, despite not taking the vehicle to a dealership. Hudson feels that in recent years, dealerships have seemingly increased their prices but lowered the quality of service they’re providing.
“We’re trying to do the opposite here,” he explained. The small business aspect means customers get a lot of hands-on treatment from the eight Automotive Service Excellence certified technicians. Whoever works on your car is whom you deal with throughout the repair process. There are no middlemen at Hudson & Mowins, so there is usually no breakdown in the communication process.
They’ve even been known to literally go the extra mile and drive to personally pick up a part if the shipment won’t be delivered soon enough. That means that about 19 to 20 cars get repaired in a single day. The only thing that the shop doesn’t do is bodywork, though they can recommend some local venues for that.
On a daily basis, about 30 cars are serviced and owners are able to get them in and out the same day. They also adhere to a tight schedule and provide oil changes and inspections on a 30-minute rotation throughout the day. Not that waiting would be painful since the waiting room is equipped with wireless internet, a television and a computer open to anyone. A shuttle service runs daily to anywhere in the village and a rental car service is available through the office.
In addition to guaranteeing customers fast service, the staff is adamant that every person who walks through the door gets the best service possible.
“We make sure the experience is a good one…so customers are happy to come back!” said Cathy.
Hudson & Mowins does more than just make their clients happy though. They are constantly involved in the community, where they have both lived their entire lives, through local sports sponsorships, participation in fundraisers and even providing a yearly scholarship in honor of Greg’s late grandfather. Cathy was formerly with the Chamber of Commerce and Greg is currently serving on the school board. They are also the annual sponsors of the fireworks during Seneca River Days.
But it always comes back to the cars and their drivers. The When asked if they’ve ever been unable to fix a car, Hudson paused to think.
“No. I mean, we’ve been stumped and sometimes it may take awhile to diagnose the problem, but we always solve it. Probably because none of us give up! Our motto should be if you can drive it here, we can fix it,” Hudson added with a laugh. “But that might be misleading…since sometimes we have to tow it here ourselves.”
Rest assured, however you get the car to Hudson & Mowins, they will take care of you and your car.
The shop, located on 63 East Genesee Street in Baldwinsville, is open Monday thru Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 pm., and closed on weekends.
Jul
24
Hudson & Mowins has heart & soul
Melissa Renahan 07/24/09
CATEGORY: General Business