Mechanical ability is something that Dennis Viney has always been gifted with.

His interest started as a child, tearing apart and rebuilding mini bike engines. He soon advanced to working on cars, and the tooling around continues to this day.

Viney, the owner of Viney's Parts & Service, 4091 Highway N in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin has built a reputation of honest and reliable service that has grown over his 15 years in business. The secret to Viney's longevity in the competitive auto repair business is attributed to delivering quality service and developing relationships built on trust. It's a trust that works both ways, and it has helped the business grow 30 percent since moving to Viney's current location in 2006.

Viney says the business boom is due in part to people opting to bring their cars to local independent shops rather than making the drive to dealerships in Madison or elsewhere. "More people understand that an independent car shop owner can do everything a dealer can do and in many cases at a much lower cost. The parts we use are the same as the dealers. Our equipment is all state of the art. The difference is that we don't have all the dealership overhead so we keep our prices low."

Viney says keeping business local helps the entire community. "Since I moved into town a lot of people coming in are saying that they just want to do business with someone in a local shop. By keeping those dollars local to Cottage Grove businesses, it allows the money and tax dollars to stay here so our community can continue to expand and improve."

There are also plenty of dollars finding their way in from outside of Cottage Grove with customers coming to Viney's from McFarland, Sun Prairie, Stoughton, Deerfield and other surrounding communities.

Viney says his customers not only like the idea of keeping their dollars where they live, but they also like knowing when they walk in the door at Viney's chances are they will be talking to the owner himself. "I'm involved with the customer face to face. You won't get that with a large shop or dealership."

Having that personal relationship with each customer is what Viney enjoys. He always takes time to explain to them not only what repairs need to be done but why they need to be done.

Explaining the importance of preventive maintenance is another part of that education. "You can plan the maintenance but you can't plan when that vehicle's going to break down" Annual inspections and following vehicle maintenance schedules are ways he says you can help avoid those unexpected break downs.

"Giving our customers all the details is important because they need to know what they are getting. A lot of places will say ‘we did it because you need it' and leave it at that. We want our customers to understand what we are doing and to ask questions so they feel confident in the services they receive."

The explanations can get complicated at times. With all the advances in automotive technology, the mechanical is becoming more entwined with computerized equipment. "Thirty years ago you had more nuts-and-bolts type items, and today you have to do more electronic diagnosing with scan tool equipment before you actually replace the part."

Viney jokingly compares the diagnostic inspections they do on vehicles to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan you would get at a hospital. With the diagnostic, a shop computer about the size of a laptop computer is hooked up to the car's computer system to determine what's ailing the auto. Viney says that having the latest technology and a technician staff with nearly 50 years of experience helps them take care of every customer who comes in for service.

"I make it a priority to keep my shop, my team and myself up to date with the latest technology. There are shops that will push certain work away. For instance, I do total diesel repair. A lot of shops will not do that work. I guess that makes me unique. I don't turn work away. I see every job as a challenge, and I'll do what it takes to get that vehicle going again."

The only jobs that Viney refers to the dealers are factory warranty and recall repairs. He says that he always does the detective work to find out if a repair falls under a factory warranty or if there is a recall. Extended warranties are a different story, and Viney says they can take care of all work covered under these plans.

All of Viney's technology and expertise is held inside the walls of an old block building, which used to be the Cottage Grove fire house. The building has little insulation so it takes a lot to heat. Fortunately Viney has saved himself from what could be some big utility bills by heating the shop with a furnace fueled by recycled engine oil. "I run a lot of oil change specials to generate oil for heat."

He moved the furnace from his home shop where the business started 15 years ago. The early days involved working on cars at home after his day job at the time with the city of Madison. While the 12-hour days he experienced back then are still alive and well today, he says he doesn't mind because he is doing what he loves.

He anticipates his business to double in the next five years. To accommodate the expanding demand, Viney says that he is looking at the possibility of building a new, larger and more energy efficient shop close to his current location.

Viney's Parts & Service, Inc.

4091 Highway N

Cottage Grove, WI 53527

Phone: 608-839-3648