Meet the John’s Auto Service & Repair Team
And I bought my first car– a 1969 Ford Mustang–when I was 15. It cost me $900, and I had saved the money from four paper routes to pay for it. For starters, the car needed power steering lines and a heater core. I also rebuilt the transmission and the engine, a 351 Windsor. I still have the engine–it’s waiting for a new car.
After high school, I went to Prairie State College and then worked for Goodyear in Homewood for 18 years. I excelled at troubleshooting, and after many years with Goodyear, they put me in charge of diagnosing engine problems and performance issues for four of their local shops. I also attended and conducted classes at the Goodyear Training Center in Elgin and the AC Delco Training Center in Hinsdale.
While I enjoyed the challenge, I had always wanted to start my own business. In 2001, I had the opportunity to open John’s Auto Service in Homewood, IL, directly across from the Metra station. My favorite uncle said to me, “What if it doesn’t work? You have a house and three kids!” I told him, “It’s going to work. I’m going to make it work.”
And I started by printing out fliers and handing them out at the Metra train platform every morning for two weeks before we opened. I hit Homewood, Flossmoor and a couple others–pulling customers from as far away as University Park. I still have customers who say, “I remember when you were out at the train station talking to people!”
And this year, I’m so proud to have my son, Johnny, join me in the family business. Even though I tried to encourage him to pursue other interests, he just took to cars naturally. He came to the shop with me from the time he could walk, and he would hang out. When I was working on our hobby cars–we have a whole family of Mustangs–he started helping. As a teenager, he’d work summers with me at the shop.
In high school, this is what he said he wanted to do. We toured various technical school. I wanted the best for him. We chose Joliet Junior College, which has a brand new, phenomenal facility. He went there and graduated in May 2016 with an associate’s degree in Automotive Technology. Johnny is also an ASE-Certified Automotive Technician.
As a result of him joining the business, we moved in July 2016 from Homewood to a gorgeous facility in Frankfort. It’s more than twice the size of the shop we had in Homewood, and I’m thrilled to be here and growing the business–and grooming the next-generation owner.
Whether you need a repair or just want to say hi, I invite you to stop by John’s Auto Service anytime. We’re thrilled to be here in Frankfort!
Sincerely,
John Nystrom
Owner & Founder
ASE-Master Certified Technician John Nystrom has 35 years experience in automotive service and repair. He started the business 15 years ago in Homewood. John is certified in Enhanced Emissions and is a member of the Suburban Business Development Group and Identifix International.
Johnny Nystrom is as an ASE-Certified Technician. He spent his youth working on cars with his dad—both in the business and as a hobbyist. He earned a degree in Automotive Technology from Joliet Junior College and continues to master his skillset with guidance from his Dad and with advanced training courses.
Rachel MacDonald is our Client Services Assistant, and she joined our team when we moved from Homewood to Frankfort. Rachel previously worked for a local Chevy dealer.
