Conversations with Randi Gaeta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Randi Gaeta.

Hi Randi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
My husband was a general motors dealer technician for a while, then moved jobs- all the time, I was working for Pinal County. The opportunity came while he was running a fleet department for a local fencing company to move on and open our own business, and we jumped at the chance. We were tired of others controlling our lives, time with our daughter, and our future, so we decided to jump during the recession in 2011. We were open for the first 15 months; it was just Phil working – answering phones, writing estimates, and working on the cars in the shop with my dad helping answer the phone when he could. On my days off, I would work on bookkeeping, advertising, etc. We originally had business partners but had to ditch them 3 months in because they were stealing from us. After a year in our first location, we moved across Mesa to a much larger location, and I left my position at the county after getting my Masters’s Degree in Human Resources and came over to run the front of the shop so he could concentrate on work and the quality we were putting out. From there, the shop has grown, and clientele has increased and improved – from daily driver work to customs and classics. Now we have 3 wonderful employees and the best customers around

Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth! Heck no! The economy is always a driving factor in the automotive industry, plus dealing with the ever-changing environmental aspects of the industry. Throw in a global pandemic, and things get a little crazy. But that didn’t stop us from working or overcoming any obstacle.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The shop specializes in classic and custom cars- hot rods, old-school stuff, and race cars. I run the front of the shop- the office, employee staff, payroll, and all the customers and build the wiring harness for gm engines. Most proud of our team- I can rely on them to get work done and figure anything out when we aren’t available – they are all very resourceful.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I’m a people person- always helpful; I was a swimmer for 11 years before I started teaching and coaching (high school & level appropriate). I have always been very outgoing and made sure I knew many people. I went to college to become a teacher and decided that wasnt the right path; I met Phil. We decided to move to Arizona after getting married to have the “American Dream,” in which I would say we are successful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.prkautomotive.com
• Instagram: @prkautomotivellc
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/prkautomotive
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRKAutomotive