FEATURED BUSINESS

Car Clinic Just off Route 6, on Lupi Ave in Mahopac, are Craig Truglia and his Car Clinic, a new car repair shop and a repair-education center that opened in January. Car Clinic isn’t just raising the level of service in its own shop—it’s raising the expertise of many of Putnam’s repair businesses.

Though just 24, Truglia brings over a decade of experience to his work. His father, Jerry “G” Truglia, formerly owned a small chain of shops called Car Tune, which had locations in Mahopac and White Plains in the 80s and 90s. When Craig was just 12 years old he took a class on air conditioning units.

But Craig wanted to teach. He graduated from SUNY Geneseo in three years, and attended Columbia University before attempting to teach in the Bronx. But it wasn’t long before the lure of the shop began calling him back.

Truglia’s father had been thinking of re-opening Car Tune when a tenant left one of his old buildings and the three repair bays. Jerry had gone on from everyday repair work to serious consulting— with states about state inspections systems, and with software companies on car diagnostics.

“It’s a father-son thing, and we have another partner,” said Craig, “and it evolved into me running the whole thing.” Car Clinic has all ASE and TST certified technicians, and Craig’s early love for education has extended into the new business.

“We don’t just guess what’s wrong with the car, we stay educated,” said Craig. The staff people at Car Clinic are constantly updating their expertise, and even running classes for local and far flung technicians out of the Car Clinic classroom. “We have a technician from Ireland who receives the simulcast,” Craig said.

But isn’t this teaching his own competition? “Yes,” said Craig, adding, “If good people down the street need to use a tool, we lend them the tool. People should be helping each other out.” The stress on education is important to Craig Truglia,” It helps to get technicians the esteem they deserve.”

Craig is something of a perfectionist. He often arrives to work at 7:30 am, works until 6 or later, and then receives or passes on training until 11. “You have to be committed if you are a professional,” he said.

Car Clinic offers a free diagnostic program for those with a “check engine” light. But the analysis goes beyond just reading a code on the dial. “A code may say there is something wrong with the catalytic converter, but it could be a number of problems causing the converter to not work,” said Craig. “We’re going to figure it out in an intelligent way, not send you off with a converter that will die in 25,000 miles.”

“In the long run, customers are going to see this is someone you can trust,” Craig said of his approach to cars. “A professional isn’t going to do something just for money; you want to do something because it is right.”

Car Clinic can be reached at (845) 628-6668 or on the web at CarClinicNY.com.