By William Smith
Randy Long started his automotive business, Long Enterprises, over 50 years ago.
He didn’t need much back then. Already an experienced auto mechanic, Randy started the business in 1974 — three years after he graduated from Burlington High School. All he needed was a building, some tools, and himself.
If Long were graduating high school today, he doesn’t think he would ever have the chance to open his own shop. The startup costs are just too steep.
“It would be very expensive to get into this business now. You can’t just run out and buy everything right off the bat,” Long said.
A typical, modern vehicle could have upwards of 20 computers on board. Back when Randy started, there weren’t any.
But Randy made sure the times never left him behind. Ever a stickler for detail, he continued to update Long Enterprises for decades.
His most worthwhile addition is his son, Damie, who has helped his dad run the business since 1991. Much like his father, all Long knows is mechanic work.
Their shared gift became apparent when Damie started working there during high school.
“I grew up in the shop,” Damie said. “I would work there full-time during the summer. I’ve always enjoyed taking stuff apart and putting it back together.”
Damie and his father are the only two employees at the shop and are never hurting for business. Damie has several siblings and a daughter, but none of them are interested in joining the business.
The father-son duo works on a relatively even mix of older and newer cars, but they have noticed more customers hanging on to their old vehicles over the past few years. They have even served a handful of hybrid vehicles.
The Longs remain skeptical about the long-term feasibility of electric vehicles, though they would happily service them.
“The infrastructure just isn’t there,” Damie said.
The pandemic proved to be a boon to business as locals took stock of what they needed to repair.
“It was dead during that first week when everything was shut down, and then it got busy,” Damie said.
It’s been so busy that Damie didn’t even have time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the auto shop with his father. He was going to take out an advertisement, but the shop has been so slammed with business that he didn’t think they could take on any more.
Busy times for the shop used to be somewhat seasonal — when winter hit, business would increase. Cars don’t start so well when the temperature dips below zero.
But with the advent of fuel-injection engines, business evened out.
Damie thinks it’s a bit busier in the summer than in the winter.
“Back when cars had carburetors, they would have trouble starting when it would get extremely cold, and they would get flooded and wouldn’t start,” Randy said. “I mean, we sell some extra batteries when it gets extremely cold, but summer is probably a little busier.”
Not every day is fun. The stress of an overfull workload is mentally taxing for both men. But they’re still having the time of their lives, indulging in a father-son business that many sons — and fathers — would be envious to have.
Neither is anywhere close to burnout — quite the opposite.
“We’re just going to keep plugging along,” Randy said.