Our History
Jay's Early Career
When I met Jay, he was working as an automotive mechanic and managing an independent automotive repair shop, (Jay started his technician career in 1983 in Israel). In August 1995, we got married, and two years later we had our daughter, Priel. The auto mechanic repair shop where Jay worked had been sold by the owner. The owner opened a car dealership where Jay became a partner.
As you may know, used car lots can be very profitable, but there was a little problem, it was called Jay. He broke more deals in a week than he had made in the two years he was there. He did not feel comfortable selling cars without disclosing all the things that were wrong with them. After two long and miserable years, Jay decided to go back and do what he loves most, work on cars and educate the owners how to maintain them.
At this point, I was three months pregnant with our second daughter. We found a nice hidden spot in The Heights, we moved there in January 2001. Our new home was rundown and needed a lot of love. We spent every day working on our new home while working on vehicles and building a clientele.
The Beginning of Excel
We started the business with one customer, our silent partner, a lot of debt, and a big vision. Our vision was simple, to build a beautiful, honest, professional auto mechanic repair shop where our customers could feel safe leaving their cars in our hands. We had no employees so, everything was done by us. Jay and I started to build our brand, we came up with the name for the business, designed our logo, installed the equipment, and started to build a brand for ourselves. Four months after we opened the auto repair shop, our second daughter, Orel, was born. Those who have been our loyal customers since the beginning, remember Orel being in the shop with us daily.
Jay and I worked hard to build our business, we loved every moment. Once the auto repair shop was up and running we added the collision center, the body shop. A couple of years later, Jay and I had an opportunity to buy auto mechanic repair shop that was going out of business. This allowed us to acquire more customers and add fleet accounts to our business. A year after acquiring the new shop our partner had other interests, so we bought his half of the business.
We had about 18 months left before our lease was up. Jay and I started looking for a new location. The first place we found, we started renovating, and shortly after ran into problems with the neighbor. We spent the next few months trying to make it work, but that was not the place for us. We tried several other locations, but they were all too small. On the last day of our lease, we finally closed on our new location in the Galleria. We moved into our new auto mechanic shop that same day. Everyone worked hard to pack, load, transfer, unpack, and organize the shop. We were open for business the very next day, thanks to the help of everyone involved!
Excel Moves to the Galleria
We've been in the Galleria area now for a few years, and we love it! We plan to stay in this location and keep growing our auto repair business and collision center in the Galleria. Our wonderful customers and employees have been with us for years. Jay and I truly are blessed to have each and everyone on our team.
Jay and I want to thank you all for your continued support. We shall continue serving you, our customers, and educating you on how to maintain your vehicle. For our employees, we encourage them to continue their auto technician education and training; as well as continue to grow their mental and personal growth. For us, the owners of Excel Automotive Technology will continue to work hard for our clients while continuing to love what we do. Jay and I continue to educate ourselves to learn new skills and maintain our certifications. The automotive industry has shifted a lot in the past years as technology continues to grow at a rapid pace. Staying on top of the new technology and the old vehicles is our main priority so we can continue to provide our customers the best possible auto repair shop services.
For Our Girls
Jay and I will continue to raise you with love and great pride. Girls, continue to work hard at school. Both of you are the source of our energy that keeps us motivated to EXCEL in what we do. We are proud to be a family-owned and operated auto mechanic repair and collision center in the Galleria, Excel Automotive Technology.