BEACON PHOTO/JOE CREWS
Official opening — General Manager Jody Parker, holding scissors, and Assistant Manager Rob Sennett, center-right, prepare to cut a ribbon officially opening the Just Brakes service center on South Woodland Boulevard in DeLand. Surrounding them are employees, vendors, and members of the DeLand Area Chamber of Commerce.
Officials recently cut a ribbon to mark the official opening of a Just Brakes service center at 722 S. Woodland Blvd. in DeLand, across from the District 5 headquarters of the Florida Department of Transportation.
The corporate-owned store, which actually opened in mid-August, took over the space formerly occupied by Autometrics.
The new Just Brakes is only the second Volusia County outlet for the company headquartered in Dallas. The other is in Holly Hill, and the next-closest is in Sanford, said DeLand center General Manager Jody Parker.
Sarah Hamp, vice president of marketing for Just Brakes, said the company has been in the Central Florida market for 10 or 15 years, and company officials thought DeLand would be a good location for another center.
“We felt DeLand deserved an honest and reliable repair place,” Hamp said. “And DeLand is a nice town to be in.”
Despite the company name, Just Brakes offers all kinds of care for cars and trucks, said Parker.
“We do everything,” he said. “Oil changes, tires, alignments, and factory-recommended repairs — we can do it all.”
According to the company website, www.justbrakes.com, Just Brakes began back in 1980 with a single brake store located in Bryan, Texas. It has since grown to hundreds of stores in markets across the United States.
The company site promises to give customers a “no-obligation, multi-point vehicle inspection, and a no-pressure estimate before any work is performed.” And it also vows to get customers “in and out as quickly as possible.”
In addition, the company offers a complimentary 12-month membership to the Just Brakes premium roadside-assistance program with the purchase of select services. According to the website, the program provides 24-hour coverage for towing, mechanical first aid, emergency battery service, lost keys and a lot more.
The service center in DeLand has four employees, Parker said. The others are Assistant Manager Rob Sennett and technicians Michael Bailey and Shawn Dillard.
The center opens at 7:30 a.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. Sundays. It closes at 5 p.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. every other night of the week.
For more information, call the DeLand service center at 386-337-3530 or go to www.justbrakes.com.
- Joe Crews, joe@beacononlinenews.com