It’s morning and the Harrison County Auto Repair is humming. The smells of exhaust and rubber fill the air while Bluegrass on the radio harmonizes with the roaring of engines and the rumbling of compressors.
Dennis Motell is underneath the hood of an El Camino, flashlight in one hand, phone in the other, staring down intently while sharing a hearty laugh with fellow mechanics Bill Barker and Mark Wasson.
When you ask around town, this is where you take your car if you need something. Dennis has been servicing cars in Cynthiana for the better part of 24 years. People know him.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been coming here,” Renna Collins says as she pays for an oil change. “I trust them.”
For Dennis and his shop, service is more than just a tune-up or tire rotation — it’s about people. And that’s why people trust him. “When you find Dennis, you find a friend,” says Michelle Ward, service writer for the shop.
Affectionately called “the Yankee,” Dennis grew up around cars in Syracuse, New York. He made his way to North Carolina before finally following his wife, Kara, to her home state of Kentucky in 1996. He started out pumping gas down the road from the repair shop.
Running a small business has had its challenges. Perhaps the biggest one came in 2012, when Dennis was told he had throat cancer. For eight months he underwent an intense form of radiation: he was placed in a special mask and strapped to a table so doctors could target his tonsils and throat. Dennis kept his shop running, working for stretches between treatments, while relying on the help of Bill and Mark’s son.
During this difficult time, many people in the community — customers, church groups and people Dennis said he didn’t even know — sent him letters of support.
“It was overwhelming” Dennis says as tears well in his eyes. “I’m very fortunate to get through all this and receive the support I did.”
As the day winds down, the shop comes to a slow and quiet halt. Michelle is counting the till in the office, while Mark pulls down the garage door and Bill tucks away the tools. Dennis sweeps the floors.
When asked about his time in Cynthiana, Dennis stops briefly and looks out the garage door. “You know, it’s a great community,” he says. “If you break down on the side of the road, someone is going to stop and help.”
And if you do break down, you probably will take your car to the Harrison County Auto Shop, where you’ll be in good hands and leave feeling a bit better than when you walked in the door.