By Chris Serio Martin, Truth Staff
cmartin@etruth.com
EDWARDSBURG, Mich. -- Three local men were not thinking about "The Three Musketeers" when they named their new business All 4 One Service.
But like the legendary Three Musketeers -- Athos, Porthos and Aramis -- these three friends are using their experience and skill to try to combat an enemy: a struggling economy and high unemployment.
Jeff Marner, 44, and Randy Meade, 45, were certified mechanics at Monaco Coach for a number of years. Patrick McGann, 38, has 15 years of experience and was assistant foreman in Monaco's paint shop.
"We got the word July 17," said Marner. Monaco would be closing.
Marner and his two buddies knew Monaco wasn't the only local business going to fall in this economy. They anticipated that local layoffs were going to mount and that new manufacturing jobs would not be readily available.
They did not want to sit idly by and wait for a turnaround. They were talking together, sharing ideas and their own experiences with service they had received at repair shops. Marner said they felt the service they had received was not up to their personal standards.
What they concluded was "there still was a big need in this area for a service center," Marner said.
The three reasoned that, in today's economy, people are keeping their vehicles longer, so they need quality service, maintenance and repairs.
Officially opened in October, All 4 One Service, 19475 U.S. 12, provides repair services for cars, recreational vehicles, cargo trailers, motorcycles and other toys, and customization and warranty work.
What gave these men the courage to take this step?
Marner and Meade know the ins and outs of running a small business. Marner and his wife own a small profitable business in Decatur, Mich. Meade has a martial arts school in Goshen, Ind.
Marner said that combined experience helped guide them in finding a location in an existing building, incorporating the business and "getting the word out" with marketing and advertising. They have placed advertising in area trade papers and magazines, contacted the local newspaper and created a Web site, www.all4oneservice.com
They write on their Web site: "Our mission here at All 4 One Service is we want to provide our customers with reliable, quality service at a fair price ... At All 4 One Service, we understand that All 4 One Service is not happy until our customers are happy."