LOCK HAVEN — A local mechanic has taken on his own business with years of experience and passion.

Justin Baker has recently opened his own auto body shop, JB Wrenchin, in the old Anastas Brothers building in Lock Haven. With the help from the local community and his friends, Baker’s dream has come true.

JB Wrenchin will be celebrating its grand opening tomorrow starting at noon.

Baker’s new shop supplies any auto-mechanical services. He said if it has an engine and wheels, he can work on it.

However, Baker is in the process of getting his shop licensed as a state inspection facility. He said he does have his license for inspections. He is also working on getting a tire machine and getting set up with AAA.

“I can’t do tires right now but I am going to be working with another garage for tires,” Baker said. “I am also trying to get set up with AAA in order to be one of their vendors.”

Baker has amassed almost 20 years of mechanical experience from many previous roles including working with Allison Crane and Rigging, and Fullington Trailways.

Since 2005, he has climbed the ranks in the mechanical world from being an entry-level mechanic all the way to a foreman and so on. He has worked on everything from a generator to a 650 ton crane, he said.

After graduating high school, Baker went to study at Rosedale Technical College in Pittsburgh with the dreams of being a mechanic. He graduated there in 2006.

“My first supervisor position was at Allison Crane and Rigging. I got hired there and worked my way up to their lead tech and then worked my way up to working foreman. Then after that, I went to Fullington Trailways and they asked me to run a garage out in Williamsport,” he said.

During his time at Fullington Trailways, he felt it was time to break out on his own. With his lengthy experience, he became confident in his abilities as a mechanic.

“I can’t climb the ladder any higher, so I decided to start my own business where the sky’s the limit,” Baker said.

JB Wrenchin came into fruition after he decided to leave the corporate companies he worked for.

“I got tired of working for companies and giving them everything I have. Because I take a lot of things personally and have a lot of pride in myself, I figured why give them 100 percent when I can give myself 100 percent. That’s what I did,” Baker explained.

He left Fullington last year to put his time in starting JB Wrenchin. Baker said he has no “ill will” with the company that gave him so much over the years.

“They are a great company, I just need to put it into myself now,” he said.

Baker does still work for Fullington Trailways part-time before he opens his own shop in the morning. He plans to fully leave the company in May, working at his shop full-time.

JB Wrenchin, in it’s infancy, began in May of 2022. Previously, the idea of his own business sparked in 2016. However, due to health issues with his son, it got put to the sidelines.

“I started this idea in 2016… Then we got news that my son had a genetic disease and I couldn’t juggle getting a business off the ground and traveling back and forth from Pittsburgh, working a full-time job,” Baker said. “We took care of our son and did what we could do there. After he had a transplant about three years ago… we got back up here and set our ways and I told my wife I wanted to start my business again.”

With a second chance, Baker said he went harder on starting a business now than in 2016. Older and with more knowledge of running a business, it was his time. Through help from Louis Anastas, one of the owners of the former Anastas Bros. Car Dealership and owner of the building, progress was made.

“I learned a lot back then…. Louis asked me what I knew about starting a business and I said, I’ll be honest, not much. I know how to work on things, I know how to fix stuff, I know my trade very well and professionally. I said I didn’t make it this far in my life and career saying I don’t know, so I started doing research and finding resources, working with Small Business Development,” he said.

Overwhelmed, Baker had the help of Lock Haven’s Small Business Development to going about starting his business. He started building his fledgling business in stages.

Baker’s business is self-funded as JB Wrenchin began out of his own and purchased a service truck through his hard-earned trade.

“I bought my service truck last year and put my tools in it and now I’m going to market it. It has all been word of mouth and self-funded with no investors or bank loans,” he said.

Financially, Baker was concerned whether he was ready to find a place for his business. He contacted Anastas and, through several meetings, the two worked out a plan that worked for both of them.

“Louis and I had six to eight meetings, talking about business plans, talking about everything and what’s going on. He’s helped me out a lot and he understands where I am at, what I’m trying to do… He believes in what I’m doing and he said ‘alright let’s do this’,” Baker said.

After working out the numbers, Baker is gearing up for his grand opening of his own business.

“A closed mouth doesn’t get fed and it is just that simple… I was 100 percent honest with him, with what I’m doing, what my business is doing, what’s going on and he seemed to see the same vision I did after all of our meetings. I am grateful for that,” he said.

However, most of Baker’s success comes from word of mouth and his determination in his work. None of JB Wrenchin’s recognition has come from advertising. Starting out as a mobile mechanic helped him get his name recognized while spreading business cards out in the process.

Baker is grateful to his friends for helping him get his business off the ground

“They all see a vision that I see as well and we just go from here,” he said.

Going into a business of his own was Baker’s plans but the risk was one of his biggest hurdles.

“My entire life I have always focused on everything being set in stone. I control work where I am at, what I’m doing, what’s going on. Going into a business, you can’t do it without any risk,” he said.

At the end of the day, Baker wants to bring his honesty and compassion to his customers. With understanding the difficulties of today, he wants to work with his customers with the drive to keep on going.

“I try to bring customers in with honesty and just being upfront with them 100 percent because of being a working man with a family. I sometimes have moral dilemmas with some of the invoices I write out because I don’t how people do this; if I wasn’t a mechanic, I’d be bankrupt. Just taking your car to a garage is expensive as it is. That is what I try to do as well for people out there. I know times are tough and I try to do the best I can with what they have and just go from there… What I hope to bring to customers is honesty because I know what it’s like to be a working man, what it’s like to pay your bills, what it’s like to not have a car,” Baker explained.

JB Wrenchin’s grand opening will be held tomorrow starting at noon. Baker will be having trucks on display from commercial clients of his, including Pigeon Tree Surgeons and Dip Meyer Heating and Oil. They will be able to advertise their own businesses along with Baker’s. There will be a food truck for patrons as well. Baker will also be making a batch of his own homemade chili. He previously won third place last year at the Brews in the Barn for his recipe.

Shirts will be available as well as an array of prizes. There will be a wheel to spin for prizes made from a tire balancer and a wheel spoke. Prizes include a free oil change, T-shirts and much more. Kids games and a play area will be available during the event.

JB Wrenchin is located at 308 E. Church St. in Lock Haven. It is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays. Baker wants to provide the convenience for customers with his hours.

“That time is going to be because a lot of shops are nine to five or eight to four, but people also work nine to fives. When they have time to get their car, they might have to take a day off to get their car… With my schedule here, whatever time you get off work, I should still be open,” Baker said.

JB Wrenchin also offers mobile mechanic services on Monday, Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays. Emergency services are available from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays. Towing services are also available.