[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15967]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING GRIFFIN AUTO REPAIR SHOP

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                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 29, 2012

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
remarkable minority business, Griffin Auto Repair Shop, owned by Mr. 
Jerry Griffin. Throughout the years, Mr. Griffin has shown what can be 
done through hard work, setting goals, and aiming high.
  Griffin Auto Repair Shop was sparked out of a need to survive. The 
owner, 51 year old Jerry Griffin, worked on a farm in Louise, 
Mississippi for nine years. He was promised a raise but his employer 
refused to honor that promise. At that point, Griffin asked that 
someone take him home, and he vowed to never return to that line of 
work again.
  Mr. Griffin had held steadfast to the dream of owning his own 
business since he was a teenager. After leaving the job because of a 
failed promise for a raise, he found himself unemployed and married 
with two children. It was at this point he began to give his dream 
serious thought--an auto repair business. He was not exactly sure how 
to start or where to begin. Mr. Griffin said he was led by God to go to 
the bank and ask for a loan. Once there, he was informed that chances 
of him getting a loan were almost impossible since he was no longer 
employed nor did he have any kind of collateral. However, Mr. Griffin 
said the loan officer decided to ``give him a chance'' and grant him a 
loan for $17,000 because he ``looked like an honest man that would keep 
his word''. In 1998, Griffin obtained a small lot and built a building 
which would serve as his shop. He did not have any tools, so he began 
purchasing tools a few at a time.
  Mr. Griffin relied on what he learned from books and what his 
grandfather taught him about working on cars. His first big job was the 
repair of an engine in which he earned $600.00. As time went on, he 
gained more customers, and was able to buy more tools than he could 
imagine, which lead him to be an established self taught mechanic.
  After his business grew, he decided to go to the bank to apply for a 
second loan in order to purchase a tow truck. This time, using his 
mother's land as collateral, he obtained an $8,000 loan. He purchased a 
used tow truck for $6,000 from a dealership in Greenwood, Mississippi 
and used the remaining $2,000 to make necessary repairs to the truck. 
He was now an auto shop owner with his own tow service.
  Now, fourteen years later, Griffin Auto Repair Shop is still a 
thriving business. Griffin credits the success and longevity of his 
business to it being ``built and ran on faith'' from its beginning to 
now. ``I kept my word and provided fair prices and that kept me with 
good customers from all around and they've been good customers for many 
years, said Griffin.''
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Griffin 
Auto Repair Shop for its dedication and passion for serving its 
customers.

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