When Fred and Judy Wollin opened Clinton Auto Repair 65 years ago, they wanted to provide the community with a reliable, friendly and affordable spot for their vehicles.
Even before he was tall enough to look under a hood, son Rick spent his time at the family business. “The two places in Clinton where I grew up and spent my time are here and the Clinton Arena,’’ Rick Wollin said.
Now it’s more at the auto service shop as Rick continues what his parents started at the facility on Dwight Avenue off of Route 12B across from Franklin Avenue. Last year his parents, now in their 80s, fully retired from the business.
“After I came back from college almost 25 years ago I took over,’’ Rick said, “but Mom and Dad were still pretty active until health issues have them slowing down.’’
The heart of the business remains repairs of all kinds to trucks and cars, foreign and domestic. Over the past few years Rick and his crew have expanded to work on hybrids and now electric vehicles.
When the business opened it maintained the fleet of buses for Clinton Central School. The district has its buses serviced through BOCES now, but Clinton Auto cleans, washes and stores the vehicles.
Up until about 10 years ago, though, Rick and his dad had to get each bus started and ready to go every morning. “The drivers loved us because we got their buses warmed up every day in the winter,’’ Rick said.
Clinton Auto services vehicles with the New York State Police and does the more rigorous inspections required by the Department of Transportation on…
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