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DENTON – Meineke Car Care Center of Denton held a festive grand opening Monday, June 1, at its completely renovated facility at 1115 Industrial Parkway in Denton.
This is the third Meineke franchise owned by the Repass family, who have centers in Lewes and Milford, Delaware.
“We’re super glad to be here,” owner David Repass said. “For me, this has been a seven- or eight-year process” obtaining the property.
Local officials and political candidates stopped by for the afternoon ribbon cutting, including Caroline County Commission Vice President Larry Porter, Denton Mayor Abigail McNinch, and Caroline County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tracey Snyder and Board Member Stefanie Johnson.
“It's a wonderful addition to our commercial corridor,” McNinch said. “We’re very excited. It's an exciting time in Denton that there are people looking forward to making investments in the community. This meets a need. It just shows that we're growing.”
The Meineke signature colors of yellow and black were represented in the signage, balloons and a vintage pickup truck parked on the front lawn. Denton Volunteer Fire Company’s ladder truck displayed an American flag wafting in the breeze on the sunny day. Chestertown radio station WCTR broadcasted remotely at the grand opening. The center’s soft opening was Monday, May 18.
As if the donuts and luncheon buffet inside were not enough, a barbecue food truck and ice cream truck were on hand, as well. All of which helped a dozen high school students from Montgomery County. One of their cars broke down on the way to Ocean City for senior week, and they found a tasty refuge while waiting for one of their cars to be repaired.
The large, sunny waiting area has comfortable seating, a complimentary coffee bar, work space, and a charging station for devices.
David’s parents, Lee and Donna Repass, have owned a second home for 11 years at Todd’s Wharf on the Choptank River and say they are “very happy to be here.”
“It's halfway between our son John who is in Mount Airy, Maryland, and then our other son David is at the beach with us, so it's kind of a wonderful family meeting place, and everybody brings their dogs. It's a dog heaven, it's beautiful,” Donna said.
“And we can't believe how Denton is growing,” she said. “It's beautiful. I mean, it's really up and coming, and we love the restaurants.”
“So we were familiar with the area, and David was just excited about coming over this way,” she said.
Their son and daughter-in-law, David and Jody Repass, own three Meineke franchises, as well as Atlantic Transportation Services LLC, a limousine service.
“Driving and coming to the folks' house and spending time in downtown Denton – I've been trying to make this happen for years,” David Repass said. “So I’m extremely, extremely excited about it.”
“The Lewes (location) is the number one Meineke in the country, in the world, and has been since we opened,” he said. “So tremendous success in Lewes, and then three years ago we started in Milford, Delaware, and … it's the fastest growing Meineke in history, even faster than what we did in Lewes, so (we’ve had) great success with the Meineke organization.”
David credits the success to supporting the community “and each community supports us, and I'm very excited to be able to bring that to Denton, and that is what we plan on doing here,” he said.
“I'm a big first responder guy, so I'm an honorary commander with the Delaware State Police, and a big, big supporter of more cops than EMTs and firefighters, but of course them as well,” David said. “But my oldest daughter is a police officer in Georgetown, Delaware. I was a big supporter long before she was a cop.” Their younger daughter is living in New York City.
David is also an honorary commander at Dover Air Force Base and is a board member of the USO at Dover Air Force Base.
Five members of American Legion Post 3 in Milford journeyed north to show their support in return for what the Repass family does to support veterans.
“(David) does a great job, and now our grandson John is managing the store, and just got manager of the year nationally,” Lee Repass said. John is Jody and David’s middle child.
“It's all about family and community – that's what it's all about,” David said.
Eddie Reynolds, David Repass’s high school friend, drives over from Annapolis daily to manage the Denton center. Justin Brown is the operations manager for all three locations.
It was Eddie who saved the section of sidewalk where “Connolly Bros. 1-16-89” was etched in the wet concrete. “We made sure they didn't mess that up,” he said.
The building was constructed 37 years ago when former auto mechanics Gary and Jim Connolly opened Connolly Brothers Tire and Auto. The brothers, who grew up on a farm near Queen Anne, moved their Centreville business, founded in 1979, to Denton ten years later. Jim retired in 2000 and in 2005, Gary retired and sold the business.
Gary Connolly, who lives in Denton, was on hand for the grand opening and even won a door prize drawing.
“I’m really glad to see the building renovated – it’s beautiful,” Connolly said. “I’ve met all the new people and they’re great. I couldn’t be happier, and I wish them well.”
