History
1960s
As a young child growing up with my father, who was an independent truck driver, hauling steel on a flatbed trailer, I was taught how to maintain and repair trailers and trucks at an early age of 12. Throughout my growing years, I had many jobs in the mechanical trades and was told by friends that I should be doing it on my own, instead of working for somebody else.
1970s
In 1978, I worked for a small trailer shop in Lancaster, PA that was based out of Scranton, PA for 2 years until the shop closed up and I found my passion for repairing over the road trailers. After losing my job, I enrolled in diesel school to learn about trucks and engines. After graduation, I got my CDL license and inspection certification to expand my credentials.
1980s
A new career move came my way in 1981, employed by a national trailer manufacturer branch in Lancaster, PA working on trailers. During my 8 years of employment, I built my first service truck and ran it for the trailer company I worked for, as well as picked up a trucking fleet that I worked on as a side business in the evenings and weekends. After learning that a small trailer repair shop in Lancaster was going out of business, I thought of starting my own company and picking up the customers they had.
1990s
Starting in September of 1989, I quit the national trailer company and started my own corporation known as Rodi’s Garage LTD along with my wife and 2 infant sons and a daughter. The shop was big enough to hold all my equipment we purchased and my service truck. We hired 1 mechanic and we worked outside during the winter of 1989 until we found a newly built facility where we are presently located.
2000 & On…
As the years progressed, we have acquired more buildings at the facility and more parking area. We have expanded our cliental from local to nationwide and from 1 shift to 2 shifts with the help of 4 mechanics on each shift, plus brought our oldest son into the vice-president position. Now with a full inventory of parts, the youngest son is operating the department. We also established an in-house metal fabrication shop, plus a fully equipped and updated mobile service truck running 24 hour road service. Everyone has devoted their time to serving our customers with factory-like repairs and good old fashion family atmosphere!
