Member Profile: Sun Auto & Sales
Owners: Winston & Linda Ford


"I'd thought of a business for years, then one day I went by and saw the 'For Sale' sign - two days later, I owned the place."

- The place is the former Somerset Auto on Route 2 in Norridgewock, closed down by authorities as a stolen car ring operation.

"I didn't have to worry about the old reputation because I have a good one. I've lived and worked in this area most of my life and people know me," said Winston, a native of Lexington, population - 59.

So, in 1986, Winston and his wife Linda decided to diversify from their logging service contracting business from Scott Paper by purchasing the 30 acres and existing buildings. Not much else was there except for scrap metal piles and old broken down school buses used for storage.

Now, 2 years later, they have a pretty clear vision of what needs to be done.

First will be the construction of a 3 bay garage for year round dismantling, because now, they are restricted by harsh weather and the winter season. Just as important is the need to log all of their inventory onto the computer. Winston estimates it will take 6 - 9 months to transfer the manual records. This project will wait until the storage warehouse is set up and the parts currently stored in old school buses and trucks are inventoried in the buildings. Many parts are also stored in their cars out in the yard.

With their 6 employees, the Fords do a bit more than recycle parts. In order to keep a "cash flow", as Winston puts it (something he learned form 12 years experience in public accounting after having graduated with his degree from Bentley College of Accounting and Finance in Boston), Sun Auto & Sales also sells used cars, is an equipment dealer for skidders and tractors, and runs a 24-hour wrecker service with 3 wreckers.

Winston estimates there are 30-35 used cars on the lot at any given time. The skidders and tractors augment the logging contract service even though he doesn't see the logging business as being as lucrative in his own future.

Even though the business has been around over 2 years now and you'd think that everyone knew everyone else's business, he's found that, in fact, many garages and body shops don't know Sun Auto & Sales exists. Attempting something new this winter, Winston had one of his sales people go out and make personal contact with many of those businesses. "We just wanted to let people know we're here." He says.



Right now, he deals with automobile by-products by recycling anti-freeze and gas for their own use, and barrels oil for removal.

"I'm making mistakes everyday," says Winston, "but I'm learning a lot, too!"

Asked if he had any regrets about getting into the business, Winston replied, "Only that I didn't start this 10 years ago."