From Wrenches to Wins: A New Shop Hits Its Stride

Revive Auto Works LLC of Pinellas County

Built on years of hands-on experience and a shared commitment to honesty, this newly launched mechanic shop, Revive Auto Works, is quickly becoming a trusted resource in its community. Owned by two longtime automotive professionals, Sean Charest and Ricky Fellner, the business services most makes and models, offering everything from engine work and brakes to tires and routine maintenance. After eight to nine years in the industry for Charest—and about 28 years for Fellner—the decision to open their own shop came naturally. They chose to focus on what they knew best while serving the community they already understood.

What truly sets the business apart is its transparent approach to customer service. Every vehicle is thoroughly inspected and compared against manufacturer recommendations, with clear explanations of what is due now, what can wait, and what fits a customer’s budget. Fair pricing, honest timelines, and safety-first guidance are principles the owners are proud to stand behind.

“We will inspect everything and we will say, hey, this is due, according to the manufacturer recommendations. We can do that service whenever you want. This is the price and we have a fair price, fair labor rate. And we’re very honest about it, like, hey, this can wait. If you can’t afford this now, let’s try, you know, next month or whatever depending on the importance of the fix. And that’s something that we’re both very proud to be able to offer to our community and really just keep moving forward and keep the people on the roads safely,” Fellner said.

As they prepared to launch, the owners turned to the Florida SBDC at USF and business consultant Brad Owens for guidance. With support on financial projections, reviewing numbers from the previous owner, and building future forecasts, they were able to present a strong case to lenders. “I’ve mostly been dealing with Brad and the Florida SBDC at USF. We got off to a running start on this project, so they really helped us get things rolling with the numbers, the projections from the previous owner, and our future projections, which helped with our loan. We still use that to do our projections for our future sales, which is extremely helpful. And the SBDC still helps with things like state taxes, learning things like that,” Charest said.

When an initial private loan fell through, the Florida SBDC at USF connected the business owners with Sanjay Dave at HomeTrust Bank, helping secure financing for their building, renovations, and new equipment. “Our business started off as a private loan. That fell through and we reached out to a few different avenues and the Florida SBDC at USF got us in touch with Sanjay Dave at HomeTrust Bank. They helped us secure the loan for our building, for our business and for the equipment that we have purchased and installed in the building. Our building is not brand new, but we did paint, we did a roof, all new equipment, so it is coming along. Certainly, couldn’t have done it without them,” Charest explained.

Now up and running, the business continues to grow—learning how to strengthen their partnership, attract new customers, and secure fleet contracts with local companies. “Our biggest success as of right now is actually still learning each other and getting that partnership to really mesh together and to generate new ideas on how to bring customers in,” Fellner said. “And getting that first customer in the door, getting the first money rolling in the business,” Charest added. “Also, our other biggest success would probably be the contracts we got, the fleet vehicles that we have from some of the local businesses,” Fellner mentioned afterwards.

Charest credits the Florida SBDC at USF for being there from “the starting line to the finish line,” offering guidance on everything from financing to state taxes. Their advice to other small businesses is simple: take advantage of the Florida SBDC at USF.

“They went above and beyond on everything when it comes to the loan, from just the silly little questions that you [Charest] and I [Fellner] were like, well, we don’t know. And you guys [Florida SBDC at USF] were right there with us and it’s a blessing. Thank you, guys, so much,” Fellner concluded.