by jimmysbroadwaycom on April 12, 2011
We would like to welcome Amy, who is the newest member of our team. A native to Tucson, she is currently a student at Pima Community College. Her educational goals are to obtain a bachelors in business with a minor in communications, followed by a masters in counseling. Her ultimate career goal is to teach seminars on mental health in the workplace, and to run her own private counseling practice.
Her past times are cooking, reading, and traveling. In the past few years she has taken road trips to Canada, Florida, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. She is also actively involved in mentoring at Risk Youth and does public outreach for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
We are pleased to bring Amy on Board as she brings her administrative, organizational, and people skills to bear. She will be working under our service writers, Jack and Liza. Please join us in welcoming her.
by jimmysbroadwaycom on April 1, 2011
No, it’s not a joke. April 1, 1956 Jimmy’s Service opened its doors for business. Happy 55th Anniversary! Dave’s grandfather, James McDowell, started the business. Then when he retired, his son-in-law, Larry Shinkel, took the business over. Now that Larry has retired, his son, Dave, has taken over the business. Three generations later the business is still as customer friendly as the day it started. Our customers are like family to us.
We’d like to feature one of our oldest families that we have been serving since the day we opened on April 1, 1956. Carlton and Judith Wilder were one of Jimmy’s first customers. Their children, Johnny, and Joe Wilder are still customers of ours to this day. They have been hanging around Jimmy’s since they were kids. They would ride their bikes to get air in the tires. Then when Johnny worked in the middle of the night delivering papers, we gave him his own key to the station to fill up his truck in the middle of the night. He would unlock the pumps, fill up, write out a customer charge receipt, lock up and on the way he went. Johnny is involved in the Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association and Joe runs the Southwest Center over at the U of A, it produces the Desert Speaks program that looks at deserts around the world.
Joe just shared with me a story when he was around 4 or 5 years old. In the 50′s his parents car broke down west of town and Jimmy showed up Saturday evening and fixed the car. Servicing our customer needs has always been first priority at Jimmy’s.
We have many 2nd and 3rd generation customers that we cheerish as great friends. We have enjoyed serving you and your families during this time. We look forward to serving many more 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation customers over the years to come. Thank you all for supporting us over the past 55 years. We appreciate and have enjoyed the years with you.
From the 3rd generation of Jimmy’s,
Dave and Phyllis Shinkel
by jimmysbroadwaycom on March 21, 2011
We are sad to say that Kandice’s last day with us will be 3/31. She is moving to New Mexico to help her parents out. They are not well and this is a good time for her to be able to help them. We wish her well and hope that you can stop by to say goodbye to her in the next 2 weeks. Kandice just hit her one year anniversary with us on 3/15. She worked our parts department and worked along with Jack our service writer. She is a hard worker and will be missed. Good luck Kandice and keep in touch.
by jimmysbroadwaycom on March 14, 2011
We send out all our prayers to those in Japan. Liza had a scare because her mom lives over there. She did find out late Friday that her mom and other family members are all safe.
by jimmysbroadwaycom on March 11, 2011
We would like to welcome and introduce to you our newest employee. Her name is Elizabeth and she goes by Liza. Along with her BA in Business Administration, she brings with her organizational, people, and service writing skills. She will be working along side of Jack as a service writer. We are excited to have her and know that she will be an asset to the company. Please help us in welcoming her.
Here’s a little bit about Liza; She was born in North Carolina-an army brat. She has 3 kids, Bryan almost 21, Crystal 19 in college, and Demi almost 18 and a senior in high school. She’s going to be a grandma for the 1st time in July. She has worked as a service advisor/warranty administrator for Peterbilt for 3 years. She has lived in Arizona for the past 25 years. Loves animals, has a dog, Flo, a cat, Asia, and a bunny, Miki.
If you take her out for a medium rare prime rib, yummy, you would be her new best friend for life. She loves to bake….. and can make a mean tamale. Christmastime she makes a bunch of tamales and gives them as gifts to family and friends. Get on the list now!
by jimmysbroadwaycom on April 1, 2006
We are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Jimmy’s Broadway Automotive Service. We are also honoring the memory of our founder, Jimmy McDowell, and the legacy of his work ethic. We would like to invite you to our party and share our story with you.
Jimmy was born James Emmett McDowell in Indianapolis Ind. in 1911. By the time of our country’s great depression, Jimmy had already begun his family. As with others at that time, he managed to keep his wife Cora and young family together with odd jobs. He also helped his siblings and mother as their main breadwinner.
As World War II broke out, Jimmy found himself working at a gas station/garage. The owner of the garage decided to close since all his employees were in the war effort. Jimmy struck a deal with him for the business and the equipment. With a growing family and no other choice, Jimmy, with hard work, built up the business. Because of his efforts, Marathon Oil Co. in 1950 built for him a modern new station. His perseverance had begun to pay off.
But by 1951, due to family health issues, Jimmy moved his wife, Cora and their 9 children from Indianapolis to Tucson. He made 39 round trips back to Tucson before selling his business in Indianapolis in 1955.
On Sunday, April 1st 1956, he opened Jimmy’s Service at 6th Street and Tucson Blvd. He often recalled that day. He sold $1.00 of gas to a car and .25 cents to a motor bike.
By 1957 Jimmy’s daughter, Claudia, had married her high school sweetheart, Larry Shinkel. In 1958 Larry went to work for Jimmy. In 1971, Jimmy’s family gave him a surprise 25th open house anniversary party at the station in his honor. One high point that day our customer, Dr. Herb Abrams, stopped by with the Surgeon General of the United States, C. Everett Koop, to sign Jimmy’s guest book.
In 1983, Jimmy retired and sold Jimmy’s Service to Larry. By December of 1984 Larry had expanded and purchased Cookey’s 76 Service at Broadway and Tucson Blvd. In 1990 he moved Jimmy’s to the Broadway location and later consolidated both. Larry retired in 1998.
Larry and Claudia’s two sons, Dave and Mike took ownership in 1998 as the third generation and incorporated their grandfather’s name in the business. Mike sold his interest in 2005 to Dave and his wife Phyllis. They have three children, David, Toni and Emmett (who was named after his great grandpa).
This all began in 1941 when Jimmy started his journey that has led us this far. Thanks to his guidance and example, he has taught us how to treat customers and maintain their loyalty, confidence and trust.
The last of Jimmy’s original customers recently passed away last year. Jimmy passed away in 1996. His wife, Cora, preceded him in 1987. Their union has grown to include over one hundred and seventy immediate family members.
We at Jimmy’s Broadway Automotive wish to thank each one of you, our customers for your loyalty and allowing us to share this story with you and to be part of your families over the past 50 years.
Cordially,
The McDowell & Shinkel Families
