ATHOL — Married 37 years, Mike and Lorrie Bernard share a life, children and grandchildren, a comfortable home — and a building that houses each of their businesses.
Mike bought Flint’s Garage Auto Repair and the attached property, including rental apartments, at 990 South Main St., from David Flint in July 2000. Flint and business partner Mark Robichaud currently rent space to sell used vehicles on the lot, doing business separately as Flint’s Garage Sales.
His wife, Lorrie, and her business partner, Mindy Powling, opened Amish Country Crafts in the adjacent space in 2015.
Bernard employs two mechanics, Scott Prue (since 2007) of Athol and Darrell Cleveland (since 2012) of Athol, and office manager Jodi O’Regan has been with the business the longest, at 15 years.
“I was working on a car one day and Jodi came into the office and asked if we needed any help,” said Bernard. “I hired her then and there to work mother’s hours, and she’s been with us ever since.”
The employees work 40 hours a week.
The business offers four lifts in the garage, two offices, and state-of-the art front-end alignment and other computer equipment. Repairs are made on all makes and models and full-service oil changes are available by appointment only.
Bernard said got his driver’s license in 1978 and has been interested in and “tinkering with” cars since.
“I worked at Starrett’s for 20 years — right out of high school,” said Bernard. “And, lived in the area all my life.”
He praised the hard work and expertise of Prue and Cleveland.
“Car dealerships are scooping up kids right out of trade school,” he said. “We have to keep up with computer software. Management and diagnostic software are a huge expense.”
All his equipment is up to date, and Bernard noted business fluctuates with the seasons — slowing around the holidays and picking up in the spring when there is an uptick in pothole-related repairs.
New regulations mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency will require the changeover to a new Freon in air conditioning starting in 2021. Currently, it costs roughly $1 an ounce to charge a system; the new Freon will cost $100 per ounce. Bernard said all service repair centers are required to take a test before they can even purchase the new Freon.
Bernard repairs vehicles and pitches in when needed, specializing in electrical work and wiring.
“I’m a problem-solver,” he said, noting jobs can sometimes be fun. He repaired a clutch on a BMW Mini Cooper recently, for instance.
It’s not all work, though, he said. Bernard said he enjoys NASCAR, attending antique/classic car shows and working on “street rods.”
Flint’s Garage is open Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday from 7 a.m to 3 p.m.; closed Saturday and Sunday.
In their free time, the Bernards said they enjoy the ocean, and camping and travel.
“We want to see things while we can,” said Mike Bernard. “We try to get away as much as possible.”
Those getaways include trips to Pennsylvania with his wife, mixing business with pleasure.
They also enjoy family time with their sons Chris and Brian, who work at Starrett’s, and their 5-year-old grandson, Nathan.
Friends and business partners Lorrie Bernard and Mindy Powling, owner and artist behind the popular Nailz 2 Envy home-based nail salon in Orange, turned their love of crafts into a business, opening the doors of Amish Country Crafts in June 2015. It’s located in a renovated apartment on the other side of an office wall connected to Bernard’s husband’s auto repair business.
They said they chose the name because most of the items are purchased from Pennsylvania or handmade themselves. During the year, they make several trips to Lancaster, Pa., to purchase stock. The Bernards are familiar with that area because they frequently vacation there.
At Amish Country Crafts, there are three rooms filled with wares — on shelves, on the floor, on the walls.
“We can’t put it all out, we have so much stuff,” said Lorrie Bernard.
And, the more you look, the more you see. There are themed sections — equestrian, beach, religious, gardening, patriotic, and hunting and fishing. Elsewhere, you find home decor, purses handmade by an Amish woman, wine-related decor, plates, plaques, signs, wood crafts, rugs and wrought iron items, such as candle holders and towel racks. There are Americana items, handmade cloth dolls, hand-painted artwork, wood wishing wells, bird houses, pillows, decorative bird nests, tinware, handmade game boards and more. The stock changes frequently.