When Sully Dawson opened ECO-Friendly Auto Center in Oakland Park, FL 3 months ago he wanted to leave no environmentally friendly stone unturned.
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“I made a conscious effort to be green from the inception,” said Dawson, “I took the best of everything I could find out there.”
The 6,000 square-foot shop has 3 employees and sees about 350 cars a month. ECO-Friendly has only been open for about 3 months, but Dawson anticipates the repair shop will bring in about $400,000 this year. The shop does major mechanical repair work as well as regular maintenance like oil changes and tire repairs but does not do any body work.
According to Dawson the shop recycles everything possible including, metal, batteries and paper. The shop also uses a service called Safety-Kleen which takes their used oil and antifreeze, cleans it and returns it to the shop for reuse.
ECO-Friendly also provides customers with the option of using G-Oil Green Motor Oil. G-Oil is made from animal fat and is completely biodegradeable. ECO-Friendly is the only shop in the state of Florida to offer this option which is American Petroleum Institute certified. According to Dawson, G-Oil is a little more expensive but well worth the cost. He also said he is seeing that about half of his customers coming in are making the switch from regular motor oil to G-Oil.
The shop also sells other biodegradeable automotive necessities; from engine degreasers to car wax to window cleaners, customers can find everything they need to be environmentally conscious when it comes to their vehicles.
ECO-Friendly uses low VOC cleaners in all of their processes and their wash system is Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) approved.
“These things are easy,” said Dawson, “it’s all about what we can do now for our kids and our grandkids.”
Dawson also believes in being a spokesperson for shops implementing more environmentally conscious techniques in the workplace. ECO-Friendly is currently working on their Green Certification through the state of Florida; after the shop gains this honor Dawson will be working on writing a guide for other shop owners on how to implement green technologies simply and cost-effectively in their own shops.
“Part of my job is informing people, especially my customers,” said Dawson.
ECO-Friendly is also very proud to be considered female and child friendly with a kids play area, cafe and WiFi offered in the waiting area.
Any questions can be referred directly to Dawson through his email;
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. More information about Eco-Friendly Auto Center can be found on their websites at ecofriendlyautocenter.com and ecofriendlyautocenter.net.
ECO-Friendly Auto Center
1139 E. Commercial Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334
(954) 581- 1747
