BY RYAN SPELTS
Danny’s dad originally had the golden Midas touch and ran the first Midas store in Ogden in 1965. When Danny was in High School, he was able to start working there, which got him started in the vehicle repair profession. He grew up in North Ogden and attended Bates, NOJH, and graduated from Weber High in 1982. The next year, he started working full time at Midas. Eventually, he worked at several Midas locations and moved his way up into management. He ran the Salt Lake store for 14 years, then moved back to Ogden and managed the store at 220 Washington Blvd. for 10 years. His boss then sold him that location, and in 2004, he took over the shop in Roy and the shop at 3459 Washington Blvd. near Riverdale so that he now owns three locations.
One of the main reasons Danny wanted to move into ownership extended beyond being his own boss, though that was important to him. He wanted to make some fundamental changes to the way the business ran. First, he could see that mufflers were now being made of stainless steel and would not need replacing as often. Midas was transitioning their focus nationwide to full-service automotive centers. Danny wanted to not only transition the local stores, but to invest in both talent and technology to make his centers some of the top in the business.
Today, his three locations can do anything needed for vehicle repair, bumper to bumper, with the exception of extensive body work. They can repair detached bumpers, but if it gets beyond that, they recommend going to a body shop. Literally, for everything else, they have the tools and expertise: tires, diagnostics, electrical, engine repair, alignment, brakes, shocks, struts, lifetime-warranty brakes, shocks, and mufflers. You only have to buy them once, and that warranty is good at all 1800+ Midas locations nationwide.
Danny also hires top talent and pays for that talent. He knows good help doesn’t come cheap, and he invests in top-quality trained and certified mechanics. He also purchases the best equipment in the business so they can stay up-to-date and fix any problem they come across. The best part is they try and get every job done in a day or less. Other than a full rebuild of an engine, they can usually get cars done very quickly. They also have three locations, which means they can move cars if one location is busy. That way, cars are repaired and returned quickly to their owners.
Danny has loved being an owner for over 19 years. He loves what he does, especially being here in his hometown. He sees many friends that he knew when he was young and sometimes hasn’t seen in years, until their car needs repair, and Danny and his crew are there to help them.