Medford Auto Business 'Had to Start From Scratch'

When Carmine Cirillo and Robert Puckli opened up Medford Fast Lube on Route 112 in Medford, they faced an uphill challenge.

Cirillo, who came to Medford Fast Lube after managing another auto repair shop in the area for years, described the state of the building upon his arrival.

“This place was run down to the ground, nothing worked in here,” he said. “We basically had to start from scratch building the place. The air conditioning didn’t work, the heat didn’t work. You couldn’t sit on the chairs in the waiting room because they were filled with grease. When you came here there were chairs with just grease on them. I wouldn’t sit on them in work clothes.”

It’s now been almost a year for the pair in the new location and most of the physical ailments have been fixed.

“It was raggedy, nothing was here,” Cirillo said. “There was a milk crate with a TV on it. Nothing looked like it does now. We’ve invested some money to renovate the whole thing. We’re going to do the exterior and finish the front next month.”

Add in the 11 broken windows and it’s easy to see the type of work that has gone into the shop.

Cirillo’s father owned his own auto repair shop and the 42-year old began his own shop in Valley Stream as an 18-year old.

After years owning his own business Cirillo intended to get out of the auto repair business. But he was offered a great deal to manage a shop in Medford. 

“I missed it,” he said. “I like to deal with people. At the time it was a challenge.”

Now with the backing of the Medford Chamber of Commerce Cirillo and his six employees are ready to build the business financially and cement their reputation in the community.