At Gardiner’s Garage in Gisborne, old-fashioned service meets cutting-edge technology.
Gardiner’s Garage has been a mainstay of Gisborne since the 1860s, when it began life as a blacksmiths.
The business has a long association with Gisborne, with the Gardiner family that started it being among the town’s pioneers.
After a stint as a coach-building outfit came its first incarnation as a business catering to the new “horseless carriages”.
The business has always moved with the times, today more so than ever.
The business today represents the future of motoring, with new workshop manager Adam Downs brought in specifically for his knowledge and training with prestige cars that harness high technology.
He joins the Gardiner’s Garage following his position as head of servicing at Ballarat BMW and VW.
Adam says the focus on trust, service and quality was a real drawcard for him as a professional when he was offered the post.
“When it comes to the service of these technologically integrated vehicles, there are a lot of people out there that will take advantage and who aren’t tech savvy,” he says.
“Here, we are trustworthy.
“We are currently setting up multiple systems to ensure we are a true future-forward garage.
“With a lot of luxury and new-build cars passing by, with families increasingly being drawn to the tree-change lifestyle Gisborne represents, we want to be able to offer a quality service for those families without them having to leave town.
“There are some lovely established homes in this region and until now there hasn’t been a prestige car workshop to service that market. The current owners saw that opportunity.”
Adam says Gardiner’s Garage has the best diagnostic systems available.
“There are certain things you can test, but a lot of mechanics simply don’t have adequate training,” he says.
“Anyone can put a [diagnostic] tool on and think they are diagnosing a computer issue successfully, but it is often far more complex than that.
“You need the relevant education to be able to successfully diagnose and then repair the issue at hand … and that is what we specialise in.”
Gardiner’s Garage offers 24/7 towing and road-side assistance and log book servicing as well as major and minor mechanical repairs.
Gardiners Garage, 7 Hamilton Street Gisborne. Opens 8am-5.30pm Monday-Friday and 9am-noon Saturdays. Inquiries: 5428 2210
