Finding the right mechanic these days can be overwhelming, but legacy mechanic shop owner Chris Cliburn said he learned early on the importance of treating people with dignity and respect.
“My dad was born in 1928,†said Cliburn. “When he got out of the Army where he was a mechanic, he went and opened Cliburn’s Auto Repair in Madison, Tennessee. When he moved back here, he opened it up here on his farm. He worked at the Cadillac dealership in Nashville which is now Crest Cadillac. He was one of the head mechanics there. That was in the 1950s.â€
Cliburn says that he learned at an early age to work on automobiles.
“When I was a kid, and big enough to do anything, I would come home from school and change clothes and help my dad in the fields or in the shop,†said Cliburn. “I was around seven when I started helping him in the shop. He was a great mentor and taught me a lot. He could fix and do just about anything.â€
Cliburn worked at dealerships before deciding to reopen Cliburn’s Auto Repair in Lafayette.
“In 1991, after high school, I worked at Sportswear, and maybe a little less than a year, I went to work at Northlake Auto Mall in Gallatin,†said Cliburn. “I started there, and in the late ‘90s, I became the transmission man and then a Master GM technician. I became the shop foreman. I had the dream early on of opening my own shop. After the tornado destroyed Northlake Auto Mall, I went to Vic Jenkins in Gallatin from 2008 to 2018. In 2018, we opened Cliburn’s Auto Repair with partners.â€
Now, midway through 2025, Cliburn has more news to share.
“We opened Cliburn’s Auto Repair and Pit Crew Express lube in October of 2018,†said Cliburn of the group effort with his wife, Nickie, and two friends, Chris Crowder and Derrick Dickens. “Derek Warchol also came to be my right-hand man at the shop, and without these wonderful people, we wouldn’t be who we are today. But as of last week, Nickie and I were blessed enough to buy Chris Crowder’s and Derrick Dickens’ part of the business. I appreciate all they have done for us, and we are now excited to be 100% owners of Cliburn’s and Pit Crew. I’m blessed with a great crew that works hard. Derek Warchol is my shop foreman and engine and electrical specialist, and I depend on him a lot. Colby Lowe is my service adviser, Johnie Holland is my parts specialist, and Scott Langford is my lube tech. Bradley Chaffin and Colton Dean are my general line techs, Dylan Murphy is my front-end specialist, and some part-time help includes Joseph Scott, Jayden Moore, David Krantz and Sarah Borders.
“Nickie and I are so blessed to have family like these people and great customers that make our days a blessing,†he said. “I thank God for allowing us to be able to do this, and I thank our customers so much. We look forward to serving you all for many more years. God bless you all.â€
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