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New owner takes over at St. James Auto

3 min read
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Marianne Paton Former owner, Rick Conrad, and shop mascot, Sonny, hand over the keys to Scott Martin, the new owner of St. James Auto in St. James City.

For two generations, St. James Auto on Oleander in St. James City has been owned and operated by the Conrad family. Earlier this month however, the keys were handed over to the safekeeping of dedicated employee, Scott Martin, who will continue to service the vehicles of island residents.

“Scotty has been ready for this for a long time. He has had over 10 years of on-the-job training here and has been the key to the success of the shop for years. From him being the youngest ASE master tech to countless hours of professional training, he has old school traits like pride before profit and attention to detain,” said Rick Conrad. “In fact, when we got voted ‘Best of Pine Island’ the people tell me congtrats, and I’m thinking they should be patting Scotty’s back.”

Conrad also shared his reasons for handing off the family business to Martin.

“Personally I’ve had a tough year. From losing my mother on Mother’s Day to my dad having a stroke a few months later, I feel the need to spend time with dad and finish some other projects,” Conrad said. “Although, I did love the challenge of the the business and certainly the customers, so I’m sure I’ll be ‘bugging’ Scotty here and there. I wish him the best.”

Martin is a life-long resident of Pine Island. He took up residence when his family moved to the island as a young child and he was enrolled at Pine Island Elementary School. As soon as he was old enough, he began working at St. James Auto and began furthering his education to obtain his Master Tech certifications.

“I want to continue the legacy that Rick has left behind,” said Martin. “It is my goal to provide the same great service and go above and beyond for my community,” Martin said. “Working with Rick as well as Vinny and Charlie has been a pleasure and I am very pleased that Vinny and Charlie have agreed to stay.”

Growing up on Pine Island, Martin enjoyed fishing in his free time and today spends his leisure time performing in a band. The group Gina Hendershot and the True Born Sons play regular gigs in the Fort Myers area.

While many of the customers who patronize St. James Auto may be very familiar with Conrad, many may not have had the opportunity to meet Martin personally.

“I have spent most of my time working behind the scenes and we felt that it would be a good idea to hold a meet and greet and to show our appreciation for our customers,” Martin said.

On Saturday, Jan. 16, Martin and his crew from St. James Auto will host a customer appreciation and meet-and-greet event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come to the shop and meet Martin and enjoy food and beverages provided by Little Lilly’s Island Deli.

St. James Auto, located at 2867 Oleander Street (Stringfellow Road), St. James City is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. providing everything from oil changes to engine overhauls. For more information, call the shop at 283-1996.