Sparks Auto Electrical recently celebrated 50 years as a Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) member-business and VACC CEO, Geoff Gwilym met with owner Gary Marrocco onsite to mark the occasion.
Gary’s father, Luigi and his uncle, Joe, established Sparks Auto Electrical in 1968. The brothers emigrated from Italy and quickly set up shop in what would have been an industrious time for the automotive industry. A dynamic business-minded duo, Joe had training on the tools and taught Luigi the trade on-the-job. A successful venture from the start, in those early days, the business called 596 Sydney Road in Coburg home, before the brothers made the move to 1 Allenby Street in Coburg North where the business continues to operate today.
Luigi has three children, but it seems he only passed down the automotive gene to Gary. "(My sisters) are not into working on cars." But, Gary started working at 14 years old, helping around the shop. “Even at this early age, I was fascinated with cars and the way they worked. I wanted to be active in the industry and thought being an engineer would be a good start,” he said.
Gary attended St Joseph's College in North Melbourne and, after finishing high school, started a diploma in Electrical Engineering at RMIT. However, despite his father’s encouragement, Gary’s time at RMIT was brief, as he was keen to get back in the shop. "I wanted to be hands-on." So, Gary left university to begin his apprenticeship and never looked back.
Gary undertook his automotive electrical training at the Batman Automotive College of TAFE. Coincidently, Geoff taught at the college in the early 90s, and they both fondly remember the teachers there throughout the years. Gary agreed that instructors including David Cox and George Pontikis really knew their trade. “Many of the skills I apply today came out of these great teachers.”
Fast forward a few decades and Luigi retired first from the business at 55 years old. Joe stayed on until he was 65, after which Gary took the reins.
When he first began his apprenticeship, could he have imagined one day calling the shots?
"Yes, that was always the plan. It was always going to stay in the family."
Now a father himself, with a young daughter and a son at home, Gary is unsure whether he will pass Sparks Auto Electrical onto the third generation of Marroccos.
Gary sees automotive jobs in the future will be very different from what he has experienced in his own career. For example, with electric vehicles gaining popularity – the Federal Government aiming for 1.7 million zero and low emission vehicles on-road by 2030 – the tasks of an electric vehicle diagnostic technician would be "a lot cleaner work (compared to that of today’s technicians)".
The rise of the electric fleet is already changing the automotive industry landscape – with ground-breaking legislation to mandate providing motor vehicle service and repair information to Australian automotive repairers passing the Senate this year.
This world-leading legislation fulfills a government commitment for a mandatory scheme to compel car manufacturers to share technical service and repair information with all qualified Australian repairers from 1 July 2022. Sparks Auto Electrical is counting down the days.
Technical information is crucial when repairing vehicles today, and the new rules will even-up the playing field for independent repairers – a big win for business and for motorists.
On technical matters, Gary reveals Sparks Auto Electrical is already a VACC MotorTech subscriber and an avid user of Tech Online. In terms of VACC services, the Chamber’s technical offering tops the list and – while the team is happy – Gary insists the more technical information, the better...
With more than enough work and a loyal customer-base, Gary is content with current business operations, and, while he is not looking to expand the premises, he is open to employing an apprentice in the future. “I get a lot of phone calls (from young people looking to learn the trade)."
With progress being made at government levels and business full steam ahead on the workshop floor, Gary and the team have positioned Sparks Auto Electrical for many more successful years ahead.