A new car care store in Fulton has taken off quite nicely from the starting line, according to its owner. Stacy's Complete Car Care held its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 25 and has received good business since, store owner Stacy Whitfield said.
Whitfield documented his preparation for opening day by posting photos of extensive cleaning and a new paint job to the business' Facebook page.
Whitfield lives in Jefferson City and used to work in Columbia, but decided to open the business in Fulton because of the location.
"When this came up here, I liked the spot, so we chose Fulton," Whitfield said. "There's not many automotive places in town that offer what we do, so I figured it'd be a good spot."
Whitfield said his shop offers a variety of services to earn the "Complete" label in its name.
"(We do) everything," Whitfield said. "We don't do body work, but if it's something like a hood, we can replace that. We do anything mechanical; we do tires; we do motorcycles - everything."
Whitfield brings more than 30 years of experience working in automobile repair shops, and said opening the business was a "spur-of the-moment" idea.
"I just wanted to try it myself," he said. "Try to get a good product at a good price and see what happens."
Whitfield is confident that he won't lose customers to potential competition from the Plaza Tire Service across the street.
"They (Plaza Tire Service) are mostly tires," he said. "We're mostly mechanical. We can order them (tires) in. I don't stock any like they do there. If I get somebody in here, I usually send them down there for the tires, and if they get someone with mechanical (needs), they send them here."
Whitfield said business at Stacy's has been steady since the grand opening and sees 15 to 20 people a day in his shop. That number may increase once more people start using the coupons for $5 off an oil change that Whitfield distributed during opening weekend.
Three highly-skilled, ASE-certified employees help Stacy meet his customers' mechanical needs, including automotive repair and parts, brakes, alignments, oil changes or general vehicle diagnostics.
Whitfield's not the only member of his family with a business in the building. His wife sells handmade purses, jewelry and wreaths in a boutique in the top part of the building called Carla's Fashions.