National award-winning automotive service center Pam's Motor City Automotive and Tires announced it signed paperwork to complete the sale of the shop to John Kish, of West Chester, Pa. Kish, an automotive technician, recently sold his automotive center, located southwest of Philadelphia.
"John and I have the same mindset regarding the importance of the relationship between the shop, the customer and the car. He will be a great asset to the automotive center," said ASE automotive professional and former owner Pam Oakes.
The same, long-term staff that worked with Oakes at the shop will continue the quality service with Kish at the helm.
Oakes, meanwhile, will be pursuing other, automotive venues. She is a nationally recognized automotive author, automotive patent holder, automotive speaker and is a nationally syndicated radio personality specializing in automotive consumer education reaching millions Coast-to-Coast every week day.
Pam's Motor City Automotive, a past Motor Age Top Shop, started in 1995. Oakes was the sole employee -- technician, service writer, bookkeeper and "bottle washer" -- when she opened the shop. Today, the 12-bay shop employs nine, seasoned automotive professionals. During Oakes' tenure, she could be found in the shop under a hood or teaching consumers automotive maintenance.
Oakes was born in the automobile mecca of the world - Detroit, Michigan -- and spent her teen years on Florida's southwest coast. Oakes is a fourth generation automotive technician: Her great-grandfather Leonard Smith, grandfather, Ralph Smith and father Jerry Oakes were all automotive technicians. Oakes' dad, with more than 45 years as a tech, worked with her from 1996 to 2004. Oakes lives with her fiancé Peter Sudak - also an automotive professional - in southwest Florida.
Pam's Motor City Automotive and Tires has won numerous local, regional and national awards -- throughout the years: 2008 Tire Review magazine "Top-Shop" runner-up award, nationwide; 2008 Motorage magazine "Semi-Finalist" top-shop award, nationwide; "Best Auto Repair" in (local) News-Press reader's poll (approx. 125,000 response, each year) for 17 years (including 2014); 2013 "Best Auto Repair" in regional Gulfcoast Living magazine (first and only time magazine ran "best auto repair" category) "Best Auto Repair" in Child and Parent magazine (regional) for 2010, 2011; "Best Auto Repair" in Senior Magazine (regional) for 2009; 1999 Rotary International Four-Way Test Award.
"My family and I wish John all the best and continued success with Pam's Motor City," Oakes said.
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