About a month ago, John Adams presented at 1 Million Cups Columbia, a volunteer-based community organization that is designed to support local entrepreneurs and those that are thinking about starting their business. 

As I listened to John talk about his business, LugNutz DIY Auto Repair, I knew that his idea was absolutely brilliant. A Do-It-Yourself auto shop that is cheaper than any alternative repair facility and empowers people to work on their vehicles in a safe, clean environment with access to professional mechanics on staff is something that Columbia is very lucky to have. So far, the idea is novel to the region, and our community is the only one in the state to have access to such a facility. 

The prices don’t “bite” at all - it costs $35/hr to rent a car bay and $25/hr for the bike bay. The shop has 7 car bays and 2 bike bays. Each bay is equipped with a rolling toolbox featuring a full set of professional tools, a lift (operated by the staff mechanic), a work bench, and air compression. There is also a Tool Crib that you can borrow specialty tools from to complete your repairs.

Who hasn’t experienced being ripped off by an auto repair shop in the past? Sometimes it’s hard to tell how much a repair actually costs unless you know all the details - the cost of labor, additional repairs that you may not even need, and unnecessarily marked up parts that the shop may order because of a “deal” that they have with the supplier. In this quagmire of confusion, most of us have payed way too much for something that could have cost us a lot less… If we did it ourselves. 

Now, as a female that is completely uneducated (and, quite honestly, terrified) when it comes to auto repairs, I had to raise my hand and ask John a question: is the facility female-friendly, and is there a way that I can learn how to work on my own car in a non-intimidating way? John’s immediate reply was “ABSOLUTELY!” - he said that the experienced mechanics on site are always ready to help, and that in the near future the facility will be hosting a workshop designed specifically for women to teach them the basics of working on their vehicles! I told him to sign me up; that sounds like a lot of fun, if you ask me!

LugNutz is not only a car enthusiast’s dream and a money saver for those who are ready to take fixing their car into their own hands - it is also designed to help mechanics go into business for themselves! John mentioned a special deal he has in mind for any mechanics that are looking for a shop to operate from. He is willing to offer discounts and help promote their services to the customers.

John aspires to rapidly expand across the region and dominate the market of DIY Auto Repair. He is driven to empower people to work on their vehicles and to serve as a hub for budding entrepreneurs. LugNutz is on the mission to allow customers to “Rent, Lift, Fix and SAVE!”