Nick Fabiano was feeling good.
The year was 2020. Garber had recently acquired the Volvo Cars Rochester dealership in New York. Nick was working as the shop foreman at the time.
“Coming into this dealership, it was a mom-and-pop atmosphere, and I was a little nervous,” Nick said. “But then Garber took over. Dick Garber came here and introduced himself and had a pep talk with us. We were pumped. It was like we were on the 5-yard line, ready to go into the end zone. We were ready and loving it.”
Then, the world stopped.
“Twenty days later, Covid hit,” Nick said. “The pandemic took over. We didn’t know what would happen.”
Nick quickly learned how Garber handled challenges as a company: they prioritized their people.
“We had to furlough people for a short time,” he said. “Garber just bought the place, but they paid people to stay home. They didn’t have to do that, but they didn’t even bat an eye. A week later, we brought everyone back. We learned the industry doesn’t wait.”
Garber pivoted and adapted to the pandemic conditions. As the service manager at Volvo, Nick is proud to work for Garber.
He’s also busy.
“We haven’t slowed down, and I hope it never does,” he said. “This is an awesome place to be.”
Making a Move
This April, Nick will celebrate his 21-year anniversary of being in the automotive industry.
You could say fixing things runs in the family.
“I grew up working in tractors and machinery,” he said. “I knew I wanted to work on cars because of my upbringing. Everyone in my family had something to do with pulling things apart.”
Nick became a tech for automotive repair in Wyoming…a whole world away from his home in New York.
“It was time to better myself education-wise so I picked the farthest place away,” he said. “I needed to do it for myself.”
After graduation, he decided to move back to New York. That’s when he found Volvo.
“Volvo was a high-end car and it was 40 minutes from where I grew up,” Nick said. “I decided I wanted to work with a higher-end car. I was 19. Volvo needed help in the shop. I was a kid who came in as an entry-level tech with a red toolbox the size of a fishing tackle box.”
It didn’t take long for Nick to realize he was exactly where he needed to be.
“I cared about the job,” he said. “I knew this was a career I wanted to pursue. I decided this was everything I wanted to do and more. I moved my way up to shop foreman, then team leader.”
The rungs of his career ladder were about to grow even more.
Seeing the Potential
When Garber came along in 2020, Nick’s eyes were opened to an even brighter future. In July 2021, he was promoted to service manager.
“Garber helped me see my potential,” he said. “When Garber came in and offered me my position as service manager, I was nervous. But they came with such reinforcement, I knew it was OK to be nervous. They got behind me to help make it great.”
He said Garber’s support was there from Day One, and that support is unwavering to this day.
“I feel supported by Garber in every aspect,” he said. “Erika [Erika Foley, General Manager] is fully engaged, making sure everyone is on the same page of a winning team. Scott Ellsworth [Garber consultant] comes in and gives us words of encouragement. Leadership comes around regularly just to make sure you succeed.”
The network of support from Garber stretches across the country. It’s a huge resource, Nick added.
“Garber offers a great support system,” he said. “They’re across the whole country with different people to support you. Someone has seen it before and can give you advice. It’s about obtaining the info to make it better, and we have such a network to do that. People are willing to make it better and help you succeed.”
Just like they prioritized their people during the start of the pandemic, Garber continues to prioritize their team members – and sees them as real people, not just employees.
“Garber is very understanding,” Nick said. “They are compassionate. Things happen with family or spouses and they understand if you need to take time off or arrange an appointment. It’s not an ‘If you do this, you can go,’ it’s a ‘Go make it better. We’ll be here for you.’”
Nick said the dealership is more than a workplace. It’s a family.
“The atmosphere here is very much like home,” he said. “It’s a family. I couldn’t say enough about the people. It’s my #1 selling point: the fact that we hang outside of work together. It’s one thing to say ‘family,’ but truly, our company morale is at the highest I’ve ever seen. Garber constantly reinforces success. Knowing that, that’s the reinforcement for me to work my hardest.
Fast Five
First job? Working on a farm all through high school
First car? 1982 Volvo Sedan
Favorite meal? Hm. Not sure…I’m a picky eater.
Three things you can’t live without? Friends, family, a place to call home
Best advice you’ve ever received: You play hard, you pay hard. That was instilled in me by an older mechanic.
