Joel's Auto Haven

When Joel Havens started working at a gas and service station in 1987, he could scarcely imagine that his future might hold business ownership. But fast-forward to 2015, there he was: making plans to renovate a facility into his very own repair shop where he and his wife, Kim, could do things their way.

REDEC was there at multiple steps for the Havens family and their newly established business, “Joel’s Auto Haven.” From startup loan to help with inventory, funds have flowed to keep Joel’s moving forward. Most recently, the shop got support for the addition of a third, brand new repair bay. This loan represented the potential for significant growth for Joel’s, and it also happened to represent a major milestone in REDEC’s history. It brought the organization over the $3,000,000 mark in Small Business Administration Micro Loans made.

As a result of the support, Joel says business is booming.

”I thought we would start out small, it would be personal and enough to keep us alive,” says Joel, “but apparently I’ve got a lot of followers from the community. Word of mouth happened and it kind of went out of control. I’m a lot bigger and a lot busier than I thought I’d ever be.”

Indeed, the shop’s revenues have almost tripled since opening eight years ago.

Joel says he found out about REDEC from a professional connection who referred him there, and each time he works with the organization, the experience is easier. Click here for more information on REDEC loans or to submit a pre-application.

Joel’s Auto Haven is located at 19 Lackawanna Avenue in Bath, NY and provides general maintenance, alignments, exhaust work, tires, brakes - “anything broken,” according to Joel. You can follow them on Facebook or contact the shop at 607-664-9017.