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September 28, 2025 6 mins
Ron Ananian knows his craft and for over 25 years, motorists have received quality, honest work with a smile at Ron’s repair facility, R\A Automotive. ''We fix everything but a broken heart,'' says Ron. Based in Waldwick, New Jersey, this family-owned professional service business has been named the best in the country by CARQUEST Corporation and the New Jersey Automotive Mechanical Shop of the Year.  Growing up, Ron learned some valuable lessons from his father, a mechanic who serviced President Franklin Roosevelt’s DC-3 aircraft during World War II.  He got the repair bug helping his father tune up the family car in time for an annual vacation.  ''He taught me to respect tools and machines.  My dad, who worked as the lead mechanic for American Airlines at LaGuardia Airport, would say, ‘There is a place for everything and everything in its place.  Think your way through the problem, use your head, be precise, select the right tool for the job and you’ll find your way'', explains Ron, who got hands-on experience as a teenager taking apart and repairing anything mechanical from lawnmowers, motorcycles, and cars to even a washing machine.
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