February 13, 2017

Meet David Bulko of AutoAid in San Fernando Valley

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Bulko.

David, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The year I was born (1979) my father began his work in the auto repair field. He was called the Tune-Up Doctor and he traveled to his customers to repair and maintain their vehicles. He found there were some services he was not able to perform on the road so he had to have customer vehicles towed to a repair shop. To be able to add to the services he provided his clients he converted three Dodge vans into tow trucks. Now when he wasn’t able to make the repairs needed, he was able to provide the tow service as well. The next progression in his business led him to open AutoAid in 1986 at the same location in Van Nuys we are today. I recall our Grand Opening where we handed out hot dogs and sodas to the community.

My experience in the business started at a young age. My father would take me into work with him and assign me odd jobs. I mostly remember stamping and labeling envelopes for marketing purposes. In my high school years, AutoAid was both my after-school and summer jobs. I ran errands, shuttled customers and even learned to perform minor service on vehicles. After high school, I went off to college and completed my degree in Business/ Economics from UCSB and I can honestly I didn’t see my future in the family business. It wasn’t long before I found myself searching for a career that would give my life meaning. I approached my father and told him I wanted to be a part of the business and he welcomed me in with open arms. Together we have grown the business, year over year, doing our best to provide our community with the best automotive service possible.

There are plenty of shops out there that do what we do but it’s not what we do, it’s how we do it. As a family shop, we aim to care for each customer as if they were family. Unfortunately, there is a stigma to our industry that isn’t fair to the ones that do it right. Our professional staff takes their time with every customer to understand their driving needs and tailor our services to fit those needs. We also feel that education is paramount. We equip the customer with all the information necessary to make the best decision for their vehicle and their family.

One of the things that have set us apart from the pack is that we have been a AAA approved repair facility for the last 30 years but recently we have added many more achievements. We are a Certified Female Friendly shop by AskPatty.com, we received the Angie’s List Super Service Award five times and “People Love Us On Yelp”.
Three years ago we purchased a body shop and we are now able to handle all of our clients’ car needs in one place.

We continue to strive the best we can be for the benefit of our staff, our clients, and our community.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I can remember when I first joined the business we experienced the effects of the market crash of early 2008. Due to the decrease in demand and the public’s apprehension to spend money we had to reduce our staff significantly to keep our doors open. I am thankful we outlasted the economic downturn and when we came out of it, we were poised for growth.

AutoAid – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
At AutoAid, we service all makes and models, classics to late models. We have made significant investments in training, equipment, and software to keep us up to date and able to handle anything that comes through our door.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There have been many moments to be proud of but one from recent memory happened just this past holiday season. This December we participated in a toy drive for the mission alliance which donates to our local homeless shelter at the San Fernando Mission. Every year we collect gifts to donate but this year was special. One long time customer came in one day and dropped off about 40 gifts. They didn’t ask for any discounts (which we were offering for the donations), they merely said help someone out who needs it. Not only did we donate everything we received but we piggybacked off their generosity and donated vehicle repairs to a client of the San Fernando Mission Shelter. It felt great knowing we were assisting someone with safe and reliable transportation to help get them back on their feet.

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