Weide Automotive Repair:
A comfortable, efficient business with the goal to not just repair your vehicle but relieve anxiety and create a safe place for customers — an alternative to your typical automotive repair shop.
Brien Weidemiller is the owner of Weide Automotive Repair off Northeast 14th Street in Ocala, a veteran-owned business that focuses on not only the needs of your vehicle but the needs of the individual(s) dropping it off as well.
Right after high school Weidemiller spent six years in the Marine Corps where he served overseas for two years in operations. Weidemiller holds several accomplishments, including assisting in prevention of a nuclear reactor exploding, as well as participating in Search and Rescue (SAR) as an aid to the U.S. Coast Guard.
He got his bachelor’s degree in human resource management, which he uses today to operate and uphold the Christian standards and positive work culture that he believes should be in every business, but especially in the trade industry.
Upon returning to Ocala, Weidemiller got into the automotive business after landing a job at an auto dealership. There he had noticed a lack of empathy when working for big businesses.
“I want businesses to know that you can make a profit and still have a good experience,” Weidemiller said.
He has encountered a certain degree of discomfort some people have had when stepping into an automotive repair shop and became inspired to create a space where this was not the case. Especially when it comes to women, some repair shops may suggest and encourage services that are not understood by the customer, overall making them feel pressured to accept the recommendation without much of an explanation.
When asked what is needed from the industry, he suggested, “more try and drive from local businesses.”
Weidemiller said that if a customer is recommended something that they are not looking for, and is not urgent, the statistic to return is 40-50% less if originally declined. Weide Automotive Repair is driven to provide an environment where you don’t have to know something to be there.
“We fix people’s problems,” Weidemiller said when discussing what a typical day in the industry includes. Arriving at 8 a.m. and settling in with staff, the day begins by collectively communicating, checking equipment and taking on the day full of automotive obstacles that they are faced with.
The mission statement for Weide Automotive is to care and attend to every customer, no matter their background or knowledge. When dealership prices are too high, yet professional quality is needed, Weide Automotive is there to deliver.
He is inspired by his two children Sophia and Elijah to create a familial-type environment for customers and provide the community with a positive alternative to acquisitive automotive shops.
“What I would like people to take away is that we are family,” said Weidemiller when asked what central idea he wants his customers to obtain when departing his business.
What sets Weidemiller’s trade apart from other businesses is not only the empathy in place, but his Christian approach as a businessman. Weidemiller uses his automotive repair shop as a platform and safe space for Christians to be able to openly speak of Jesus Christ and their community.
He provides free literature and Bibles, if desired, creating an open environment not only to just discuss beliefs, but for nonbelievers and all walks of life to feel safe and accepted as well. Weidemiller said Weide Automotive Repair uses his Christian perspective to present the goal that “we are going to take the righteous approach to your vehicle.”
Weidemiller’s goal is to revolutionize the automotive industry, as well as other trade industries, to accommodate not only the staff’s needs, but the customer’s needs as well. He wants to change the perception of an automotive repair shop, presenting kindness, compassion and devotion combined with skilled exceptional technicians.
“The goal is to help get vehicles back on the road so they can get back to servicing the community,” he said.
Whether you are seeking a go-to repair shop for standard routine maintenance on your vehicle, or have an urgent service needed, Weide Automotive Repair is the place to go. As Weidemiller put it, “We value our customers and their livelihood, and we want to do the best.”
They operate on all types of vehicles; diesel and gas, both domestic and foreign, as well as catering to horse community vehicles, such as horse trailers, dually trucks, etc. And all sizes of jobs are the right fit.
Another factor that sets Weide Automotive apart from others is the fact that the services customers pay for do not just go to the business, but many nonprofits in the community as well. Weidemiller contributes to more than a half dozen organizations, including Kut Different, Kenny’s Place, Ora Clubhouse, Better Together, Outdoor Valor, and other nonprofits that deal with children, veterans and mental health. Weidemiller is also a board member of a veteran’s organization that deals with PTSD.
“A good chunk of the businesses income goes into nonprofits and not my pocket,” he said.
Weidemiller said that expansion of his business is the goal, and he is determined to become a franchise and multiply the number of Weide Automotive Repair shops in Florida to spread his message and transform the industry.
