Auto body shop moves back to Shippensburg
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Vinny Scalavino, front, owner of Carlisle Auto Body and Collision Inc. and Carlisle Customs and Classics, and Dan Hoedemaker, auto body craftsman, work on a customer’s 1961 Corvette “resto rod.” Jason Malmont/The Sentinel
A shop specializing in auto body repairs and restoration work is back in the Shippensburg area after moving to Carlisle five years ago.
Owner Vinny Scalavino has opened Carlisle Auto Body and Collision Inc. and Carlisle Customs and Classics at 2275 Ritner Highway. The location is just a stone’s throw from the former site of East Coast Custom Auto Body, which Scalavino started in 1993 when he and his family moved to Shippensburg from New York.
“We’re in a garage right behind my residence, a red brick house opposite East Coast Truck Repair,” he said.
He moved his business to Carlisle in 2003 and changed the name to Carlisle Auto Body, but he moved back to Shippensburg earlier this year because of the changing economy.
“The industrial market changed in 1996, and we started doing more industrial work,” said Scalavino, noting that his new location in Carlisle was closer to his growing car show clientele.
Consolidation
His return to Shippensburg allowed him to merge his auto body and restoration businesses under one roof.
“We moved back to cut down on overhead,” Scalavino explained. “We moved to a smaller location ... (but) we’ll keep focused on collision repair and classic restoration. Bigger isn’t always better.”
Scalavino has three employees who help to serve the growing business.
“We have people who come to us for restoration from New York, New Jersey, Maryland,” he said. “We do insurance claims, and our work is guaranteed. We pride ourselves on the quality of our workmanship.”
Family loves cars
Scalavino’s interest in cars extends beyond the garage. He attends events in the East Coast area and has won an assortment of awards in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
His family — which includes wife Eileen and daughters Vanessa, 22, Desiree, 19 and Tiffany, 10 — shares his passion for cars.
“I’ve raised three daughters who have an interest in automobiles,” he said. “They meet with friends there and wouldn’t miss a show. My wife goes, too. It’s a whole family affair.”
