A working relationship spanning almost 50 years ended today with the retirement of mechanic, Geoff Beare from VACC member business, Garry Rogers Motorsport.
Geoff joined Garry Rogers' fledgling used car dealership on Springvale Road, Glen Waverley, in 1976. Geoff had completed his mechanical apprenticeship at New Oakleigh Motors Ford, but the chance to work alongside Garry on a wider range of vehicles swayed the newly qualified apprentice.
Garry Rogers: “Without the luxuries of many workshops today – not even a hoist – Geoff knew what was ahead of him to get these cars running properly and, to his credit, he put his head down and did brilliant, thorough, work out of a shed that was little more than a double car garage.
“The work Geoff put into preparing those used cars was pivotal to the growth of my business which later resulted in franchise dealerships with brands such as Nissan, Subaru and Daewoo. While the move to new-car sales took my business to another level, I kept the used car dealership and the shed from where Geoff continued to work and remain a core part of what we did.
“Geoff imparted a wealth of knowledge to young mechanics and enabled them to further their skills. I can remember mechanics at the franchise dealerships, faced with parts or processes they needed help with, stepping out of the shiny franchise workshops and driving down to the shed for Geoff’s advice and assistance.”
After a short break to work for the Stillwell Motor Group after Rogers sold his dealership business, Rogers lured Geoff back to Garry Rogers Motorsport in Dandenong South with the promise of flexible working hours, while the mechanic could exchange his spanners for the relative luxury of a service vehicle making pick-ups and deliveries across Melbourne.
Geoff said he will miss Garry and the GRM team, but looks forward to more time with his wife of almost 50 years, Arlene, and their grandchildren.
Nice work, Geoff.