Automotive Technicians: Ever make it half way home and feel like you gave everything you had… yet, nobody noticed?
You're good at what you do. Really good.
You can chase down an electrical gremlin on a BMW that has three other techs stumped. You know European systems the way most techs only wish they did.
And yet. Somehow. You're still stuck in a shop that treats you like a number.
Maybe the dispatcher sends the gravy work to the same guy every time. Maybe management couldn't tell a CAN bus fault from a loose ground. Maybe you've brought up ideas that went nowhere…
Or watched the shop invest in everything except the people doing the actual work.
You tell yourself it's fine. The check clears. You know how to keep your head down.
But deep down? You know you could be somewhere better.
That's exactly the kind of tech we’re looking for.
Greg built Flying Dog Garage from the ground up in 2007. Not as a businessman who stumbled into the auto industry… but as a technician who knew what a well-run shop should look like.
He came up turning wrenches himself. So when he built his shop, he built it for the tech.
Flying Dog Garage is Kalamazoo's go-to import specialist. BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Toyota, Subaru. 18 years in the community. Countless 5-star reviews.
This is a shop where your skills actually mean something. Where the work is interesting, the team is solid, and the guy running the place has been in your boots.
So, if that sounds like what you've been looking for… keep reading.
✅ HERE'S WHAT WE OFFER OUR TECHS:
- $85K–$105K/year, depending on experience and efficiency — flat rate at $40–$55/hr with plenty of work to turn hours
- Performance pay bumps — hit above 45 or 50 hours and your rate goes up
- 401K with 4% match — and zero waiting period to vest
- Health, dental & vision — employer covers 50% for you
- Sign-on bonus available — ask us about it
- Relocation assistance available (for the right candidate)
- 5 days PTO immediately — grows to 2 weeks at 3 years, 3 weeks at 5 years
- Paid holidays
- No weekends. Ever. — 5-day work week, Monday through Friday
- ASE reimbursement — we invest in your credentials
✓ THIS IS A TECH-BUILT SHOP — Greg Minnick came up as a technician himself. He knows what it takes to do your job well… and he built this shop around making that possible. Competent leadership that removes obstacles instead of creating them.
✓ WE WILL KEEP YOU BUSY — We're an 18-year-old established shop with aggressive marketing campaigns running year-round to keep the bays full. Our service advisors know how to sell the work. You focus on turning hours… we'll make sure there are plenty of them.
✓ NO DRAMA — Life's too short to work with wrench throwers and prima donnas. We don't tolerate them… so you won't have to either.
✓ YOU WILL NOT BE MICROMANAGED — We let you know what we need from you and we let you do it. No one breathing down your neck. No one second-guessing every decision. Just good work in a shop that trusts you to do it.
✓ YOU WILL ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOU STAND — No playing favorites. No pet techs getting fed the gravy work while you get the leftovers. Fair dispatch, open communication, and everything above board.
✓ 5-DAY WORK WEEK. NO WEEKENDS. EVER. — Monday through Friday. Your weekends belong to you. Spend them with your family, chase your hobbies, recharge… and actually show up Monday ready to work.
✓ WE INVEST IN YOUR SKILLS — We reimburse ASE certifications and accommodate time off for testing. If leveling up matters to you… it matters to us too.
✓ YOU WILL BE APPRECIATED (OPEN DOOR POLICY) — Got an idea? A concern? A better way to do something? Greg's door is open. Decision-makers are on site every day. Your opinion carries weight here… and you can actually make a difference.
✓ A SHOP EQUIPPED TO DO THE JOB RIGHT — Factory scan tools for the brands we work on, specialty tools when the job calls for it, and a parts system that gets what you need to your bay without the runaround. Plus… the shop is climate controlled. Yes, real AC. Because nobody does their best work sweating through a Michigan heat wave.
✓ YOU WILL BE A PART OF SOMETHING SPECIAL — Flying Dog Garage has been a pillar in the Kalamazoo community since 2007 and a reputation that techs and parts guys around town already know and respect. We do axe throwing, go-karting, a tree climbing course, and a Christmas dinner every year. This is a team… not just a crew of guys sharing a parking lot.
HERE'S WHAT WE STAND FOR AND HOW WE TREAT OUR CUSTOMERS:
✅ 573+ REVIEWS ON A SHOP THAT'S BEEN EARNING THEM SINCE 2007 — Nearly two decades of showing up, doing the work right, and treating people the way they deserve to be treated. That kind of reputation doesn't happen by accident… it happens because the whole team gives a damn. But don't take our word for it.
See what our customers have to say: flyingdoggarage.com/reviews
ABOUT FLYING DOG GARAGE
Flying Dog Garage has been Kalamazoo's trusted import specialist since 2007. We focus on what we're good at… European vehicles primarily, with Toyota and Subaru rounding out the schedule. BMW, Mercedes, Audi, VW, Volvo, MINI… this is our world and we know it well.
Greg Minnick built this shop from scratch as a technician who'd seen both sides of the bay. He knew what a good shop felt like… and what a bad one felt like too. So he built the kind of place he would have wanted to work.
This isn't a corporate chain. It isn't a franchise. It's an independent shop with real people, real standards, and a team that actually cares about the work they do and the people they do it with.
SKILLS AND TRAITS THAT HELP YOU SHINE IN THIS ROLE:
- 3+ years of hands-on experience in a professional auto repair facility
- Strong diagnostic skills… this is non-negotiable. We need someone who can chase down the hard ones.
- European import experience is a must. BMW, Mercedes, Audi, VW… you need to know these platforms.
- Toyota and Subaru experience is a solid bonus
- State of Michigan certification
- ASE certifications preferred… and if you're working toward more, we'll back you on that
- You communicate well… with the team and occasionally with customers
- Honest. Hard-working. A team player who treats coworkers the way they'd want to be treated
- Valid driver's license and your own tools
- You do the right thing… even when nobody's watching
BUT… If you need hand-holding, hate diagnostics, or just want to coast… this probably isn't your spot.
HOWEVER… if you take pride in your work and want a shop that takes pride in you… let's talk.
READY TO FIND OUT IF WE'RE THE RIGHT FIT?
We're not asking you to quit your job tomorrow. We're just asking you to start a conversation.
- Apply on Indeed
- Drop off a resume in person
- Or keep it simple and send a text.
No pressure. No runaround… Just an honest conversation between two people who take the trade seriously.
Flying Dog Garage - 238 W. Mosel Ave Kalamazoo, MI 49004
Email: [email protected]
Not ready to commit, don't have a resume handy, or just have a quick question?
Call or Text Greg directly at 269-345-6780 (and mention you saw the ad)
He'll get back to you.
Talk soon,
Greg
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Pay: $85,000.00 - $105,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Relocation assistance
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- Do you have your own tools?
Experience:
- professional automotive repair: 3 years (Preferred)
- European auto repair (BMW, Mercedes, Audi, VW...): 3 years (Preferred)
- Toyota and/or Subaru repair: 1 year (Preferred)
- Automotive diagnostics: 3 years (Preferred)
License/Certification:
- drivers license (Preferred)
- State of Michigan certification (Preferred)
- ASE Certification (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
