BUSINESS PROFILE

Customers, Confidence, Community

LOCAL SERVICE & REPAIR IS ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN CARS

At Georgetown Interstate Transmission & Auto Repair, half the team is family, while the rest have become like family. This auto shop prides itself not only on its family legacy, but also the honesty and integrity that set it apart from other auto shops like the one owner Joe Bob Kay worked at when he became a mechanic at the young age of 18. “I was working in Austin for a guy who, I felt, was taking advantage of people. Fortunately, in 1994, the opportunity arose for me to come out to Georgetown and open a shop,” he says.

After moving from Round Rock to Georgetown, Joe Bob purchased the business and changed the name to Georgetown Interstate Transmission & Auto Repair with a dedication to treating customers right. “We won’t take advantage of anyone. There are enough broken cars out there—you don’t have to make stuff up,” he says. His daughter and accounting director, Ashley Kay Huey, adds, “That is especially true when it comes to prioritizing things. We advise our customers, ‘You need to do this immediately, it’s a safety concern,’ or ‘Hey, this is maintenance, you don’t have to do it.’ We aren’t pushy. A lot of elderly customers are in tears when they leave, saying, ‘I trust you all. I know you’re always going to take care of me and not take advantage of me.’ ”

Previously located just off I-35 and now on Austin Avenue, Georgetown Interstate Transmission & Auto Repair continues to operate as a full-service auto shop, providing everything from oil changes, inspections, and maintenance to transmissions, engines, and brakes. The shop also works with extended warranty companies and offers third party financing. “We take appointments and typically provide a same-day turnaround on most repairs depending on availability,” Ashley says.

GIVING BACK

Having enjoyed a great reputation in Georgetown for the last 28 years, Georgetown Interstate Transmission & Auto Repair is always on the lookout for ways to support the community, from sponsorships of local organizations to helping out a customer with her transmission who had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. “If we see people struggling, we help them,” Joe Bob says. Ashley adds, “We try to spread and share the love with any organization that comes—extracurriculars, churches, athletics. The community is what keeps our doors open.” The Kays are considering expanding to another growing community, Georgetown's neighbor to the north. “We have employees and customers who live in Jarrell and some of them have mentioned, ‘We need another auto shop here,’ ” Joe Bob says.

“Being a family owned and operated establishment— is that going to be more important than a chain coming in that gives Jarrell a big-town feel?” Ashley says.

“Do people want a shop in Jarrell?” Joe Bob asks.

Wherever Georgetown Interstate Transmission & Auto Repair expands, Joe Bob, Ashley, and the rest of the team plan to stay true to their family foundation while modernizing and revamping for the future. “We don’t want to be a big corporation with 14 locations,” Ashley says. “We want to have a small expansion with a few locations and try to keep the legacy going.”

Georgetown Interstate Transmission & Auto Repair wants to know: “Would you rather keep Jarrell small and keep that small-town feel, which would oblige you to drive to a nearby town for a repair? Or, would you like someone like us in town, so you don’t have to make a trip any time you need a vehicle repair?”

Scan the code to let us know your thoughts.

georgetownautorepair.com

Call or text: 512-863-4308 1002 N Austin Ave, Georgetown Open 7:30am to 5:30pm Mon-Fri