July 22, 2013 - Two Grads Open Repair Shop Together, Employ Other UTI-Trained Technicians

Nathan Gardner grew up in a large family with cousins who all worked in the automotive industry. Being the youngest and always looking up to his older cousins, Gardner developed an interest in cars early on. Many years later, Gardner decided to quit his job and set out on his own path toward becoming an automotive technician, joining his older cousins in the industry he’d always dreamed of working in.

“I kind of shoot and then aim sometimes,” Gardner said of quitting his job as a marketer of repossessed vehicles without having a concrete plan in place. “I just quit my job. When my boss asked what I was going to do, I said ‘I don’t know – I need to figure that out.’”

When an issue with Gardner’s car arose, he asked a friend he had gone to high school with, Edwing Cervantes, to take a look under the hood. Gardner was impressed when Cervantes could diagnose the issue right on the spot, and asked where he’d gone to school to learn those skills. As a graduate of Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Cervantes told Gardner about the programs at UTI and encouraged him to enroll.

Gardner did exactly that. After completing the Automotive/Diesel and Industrial Technology and Ford FACT programs at UTI-Phoenix, he also enrolled in the BMW STEP program at UTI-Orlando, which led him to a career as an automotive technician for many years at BMW dealerships in Florida and Arizona.

“I had an interest in cars, but when I came to UTI, my automotive knowledge was very limited,” Gardner said. “UTI took me from not knowing anything about cars, to working on some of the most advanced automobiles on the market, and ultimately owning an engine repair business.”

That engine repair business is E and N Auto and Accessories, run by Gardner and Cervantes.

When his mother’s cancer diagnosis prompted him to move back to Arizona, Gardner reconnected with Cervantes and suggested they open a shop together. With a combined 25 years in the industry, the two embarked on their mission and launched the business. Gardner notes that in the past, they’ve contracted work out to technicians who are UTI graduates. When the time comes for full-time technicians, Gardner hopes to hire UTI graduates, perhaps fulfilling their dreams as much as his own.

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