Under-Hill Truck and Auto Repair has been doing extremely well at its location at 2401 Business 30 SW in Mount Vernon, said Ryan Hill, president of the company.
The company moved from the 4-L area in Lisbon in late 2019 to the location in rural Mount Vernon.
“We were finding we needed a bigger space than that parking lot provided, and this location offered that additional space,” Hill said.
The auto mechanic services cars and trucks in their small automotive department, but they also have garage bays that allow them to do repair and maintenance work on semis and trailers and all sorts of mechanical equipment, including skid loaders and items used in construction.
The work on trucks and semis was something that developed out of Hill’s side job, working as a private hauler for materials you can fit in a dump truck. That included helping with the Hwy. 30 bypass project, hauling dirt, rocks and other equipment. He also helps with transportation of windmill blades and parts, which can take him away from this area for stretches of four or five weeks at a time.
“I got tired of taking my vehicles to other mechanics who would look at an issue and what I sent it in for would still be the issue a few weeks or months later down the road,” Hill said. “I started doing my own maintenance on my vehicles, and as the business grew, I found myself hiring additional crew.”
While Hill started with a single mechanic on his crew, he now employs three at his business.
“We pride ourselves on good customer service and fixing a problem, but being open and honest about what an issue is and what it would cost to repair,” Hill said. “We do our best to help people find the lowest price point for parts for repair we can, and offer very competitive hourly rates.”
One of the perks for their new location has been the proximity to the Hwy. 30 bypass, as they are adjacent to the Irish Lane slip stream from the interstate for truck drivers and motorists to access.
The location wasn’t what drew him to the space as much initially, though.
“We needed a space that had heat in the winter, as well as concrete floor instead of just the gravel we were working on,” Hill said. “The space in this building here was more than enough for our business needs, and was available at the time.”
Three years later, he notes the business is steady, but there are people who don’t realize that the mechanics do work on cars and automobiles as well as semis, trucks and other larger vehicles.
“I encounter people who only knew we did car repairs and didn’t realize the semi and larger automobile business we offer and vice versa,” Hill said.
As for how he got involved in automotive repair, Hill noted that he started in high school driving semis. His dad was in demolition work in the early 1970s, and he helped with that business and found he was mechanically inclined. He went to Kirkwood Community College after high school, and Western Illinois University in Illinois. He has worked in communities in Illinois and Minnesota before choosing the Lisbon and Mount Vernon area for his repair shop business.
“I’ve loved owning my own business, as that’s allowed me the freedom to do what I want,” Hill said.
He has been struggling the past three years getting a sign established outside his property to let people know his business exists. It’s been an issue with the City of Mount Vernon and Iowa Department of Transportation he has been trying to work through, and has to deal with the business proximity to Highway 30 as to why a sign is in a weird limbo.
The business also offers welding and tire repairs for autos and trucks.
Under-Hill Auto and Truck Repair is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and people can call by appointment for any repair needs outside of those hours. The business phone number is 319-360-6767.
Ryan Hill, owner, and the mechanics at the shop Stan Karminski, Jason Brant, and Tim Stanbrook.