Whitworth Automotive finds new home
May 1, 2005
It was only natural that Rick and Joey Whitworth would end up being automobile mechanics.
That's all they've ever done since they were teenagers growing up in East Memphis. First, they started tinkering with lawn mowers under the watchful eye of their father, Toye Whitworth, as teenagers. After that, their tinkering passion switched to automobiles.
After almost 30 years, Rick and Joey are still working alongside each other.
For 19 years, the brothers based their family-operated business in East Memphis not far from where they grew up and went to church (Park Avenue Baptist and later Cherry Road Baptist). Their first stop had two bays and was at 1313 Getwell. In May 1989, they moved a few blocks over to 3918 Fizer and leased a six-bay shop.
As their business grew, so did the demand for space and a location nearer many of their longtime customers who had moved to Cordova, Germantown, Bartlett and Collierville.
So in April, Rick, 50, and Joey, 46, moved Whitworth Automotive to 9189 Cordova Park Road near Cordova's Old Town off Macon Road. The facility features eight bays and 4,800 square feet of working space.
The only things that have changed about the business are the building and location.
"We always try to make our customers feel welcome," Joey said.
Welcoming customers is part of the daily morning routine for the brothers' dad, who's known as "Pop' to not only his sons but customers, too. The elder Whitworth, 73, a retired truck driver, is at the shop most mornings greeting customers and answering the phone. He also runs the business's shuttle service should a customer need a ride.
Family is at the heart of this business.
The wives of the brothers (Ginger and Shelia) shared the bookkeeping duties at home during the early years, while raising their kids. Ginger, Rick's wife, took over the office/bookkeeping duties in 1998.
"I've got the best job in the world," Ginger said. "I get to work with my husband and get to be with my family every day - talk about job security."
Relocating to Cordova also made it a shorter drive to work for Rick and Ginger, since they live in Cordova. Joey, Shelia and their two daughters live in Germantown. 'Pop' Whitworth makes the 20-minute drive daily from his home in East Memphis.
"We chose Cordova as a central location after cross referencing customers with their zip codes for about a year," Ginger said. "We found that 60 to 65 percent of our customer base was already much further east. The Lord has blessed our business so many fine customers over the years. We are excited for them to see our new shop."
The brothers have come a long way from their first jobs.
"Joey and I have worked together where ever we've been working, even before 1986 when we first opened our own shop," Rick said. "It seems like we've always been working together. I guess we've worked together for 30 years."
The brothers worked at a Chrysler dealership in Memphis. They got their first start as mechanics working alongside each other at a service station (Daniels' Amoco on Park Avenue). That's where they first learned as teenagers the things a person needs to know before going full time as a mechanic.
At the time, Rick was at Messick High (class of '71) and Joey was at Elliston Baptist ('75).
"We were either pumping gas or working on cars," Rick said.
Whitworth Automotive is open 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For additional information, call 737-0331.
Larry Rea Special to Cordova Appeal
© 2005- Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN)
Document Number: 109DAB534487B0B5