A Brief History of West Michigan Auto Body

The Sabo family grew up in the 1960s and ’70s. Dennis was the oldest of seven siblings—followed by Gary, Greg, Brian, Joe, John, and their youngest sister, Dawn. All of the boys spent their early years working for their father, Steve Sabo, at North Shore Marina. There, they learned how to serve customers, work as a team, load boats in and out of storage, and repair just about anything.

It was that hands-on repair experience that eventually led to the foundation of our business.

Our father instilled in us a simple but powerful work ethic: “Do the best job possible, even when you’re just pushing a broom.” His example of treating everyone with respect, no matter who they were, quickly became a cornerstone of our business values.

West Michigan Auto Body began in 1977 when Dennis purchased a wrecked Corvette and decided to repair it. People soon noticed his craftsmanship and began asking him to work on their vehicles, too. Before long, he secured a loan to officially open the business. Gary joined as a partner two years later, and Joe came aboard in 1979.

In 1997, their sister Dawn joined West Michigan Auto Body as Office Manager. She elevated the business with a more organized and detail-driven customer service approach—managing notes, call-backs, customer updates, insurance negotiations, accounting, parts coordination, and supplement processing. Dawn helped shape a whole new level of service, providing the personal touch our customers appreciate today.

For nearly 50 years, we have continued to honor the principles our father taught us—quality work and treating every customer like they’re our only customer. We’re proud to have served the Tri-Cities area for decades and are grateful for the trust so many families have placed in us, much of it earned through word-of-mouth.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.