Troy and Kori Vaninetti - Shop Owners
Troy and Kori Vaninetti are both long time residents of this area and have been offering complete car care to their Graham neighbors since 2006. Troy began serving people of this community back in October of 1988 where he worked as a Texaco service attendant. He worked hard and gained knowledge to become an assistant technician, then full technician, lead technician, and eventually manager. Troy then decided to purchase the business from the current owners to become new owner of Graham Auto Repair in 2006.
As the area grew, the need for car care excellence did, too. Graham Auto was going to meet the need with the purchase of land and eventual construction of a new state of the art facility. With the focus of the company being primarily on customer service, comfort, and convenience, the new facility was designed, built, and filled with cutting edge technology and equipment, highly trained technicians, top notch customer service staff, a thoughtful and comfortable waiting area, and a well lit and covered service entrance for weather friendly delivery no matter the season.
Shannan - Finance Manager
Shannan came to Graham Auto in 2009 after meeting the Vaninetti family at church. Shannan got her start in Bookkeeping when her children were young, helping with the ASB Budgets in 1991. Shannan enjoys making sure that everything is in balance, and making things better for the people around her. She loves adding her creative touch to things by making gift certificates, stickers, forms, and more!
Shannan was born in Bellingham, WA and she has spent most of her life in the Pierce County area. She graduated from our local Bethel High School. Shannan and her husband Danny have two kids and seven grandkids. Their daughter Bonnie & her fiance Ben have three daughters, Kyra, Addy, and Willow. Their other daughter Lacie is part of our Team; you can learn more about her below. When she's not keeping everything checked and balanced here at Graham Auto Repair, Shannan enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, camping, and reading historical fiction.
Lacie - Marketing & Community Outreach Coordinator
Lacie met Troy and Kori as a teenager in 1996. She watched as their family grew and as they started their journey as the shop owners of Graham Auto Repair. She admired the business they were building, and was excited to join our Team as the Social Media Manager in 2019. Through training in Marketing and Leadership, Lacie's role here has grown into what it is today. Now she manages all aspects of our Marketing and coordinates events & outreach within our community. Her favorite part about her job is getting to know our Team and getting to share them with all of you! She understands that it's not easy to get in front of a camera. She enjoys helping others feel comfortable when they do!
Lacie has lived in Washington all of her life; but loves traveling. She has two adult stepsons, Tristen and Tyler; and two daughters, Shianna and Evangelina. She is on the Steilacoom Tribal Council and has been volunteering with the Steilacoom Tribe since she was a little girl. She enjoys connecting with people through storytelling; whether that's drawing, writing, or filming & editing photos and videos.
Amber - Human Resources & Talent Acquisition
Amber joined our team in May 2022. As a military spouse, she has had the opportunity to work in many different industries. She has always enjoyed learning about the different aspects of each industry. Over the past 15 years while working HR she has found the most joy in recruiting. When recruiting she gets the chance to learn more about each person, and help them to find the perfect position that will meet their career goals.
Amber grew-up in a smaller farming community in Utah. She had the opportunity to work in the shop with her dad. He owned an upholstery business and specialized in custom cars. She and her dad restored her ‘87 Chevy Silverado from the ground up! Amber’s husband Bart started working with our team in 2021. Together, Amber and Bart have two kids, Lilly and McCray. They also have a dog and two cats. Amber’s favorite part about working at Graham Auto Repair is getting to watch her husband’s career as a Technician grow!
Jessica - Administrative Assistant
Jessica has been serving on our team at both locations since March 2022. She is always willing to accomplish the job, plus a little bit more. Whether that means driving our customers home, pick up parts for our Technicians, or calling our customers to say, "Thank you!" Her favorite thing about her career is getting the opportunity to build relationships. She always makes herself available to support our team and our customers in anyway she can.
Jessica was born in Tacoma and grew-up in Morton. In her free time she loves to spend time with her boyfriend, friends, and family. She also enjoys reading and camping. Her favorite treat is Reese's peanut butter cups, and she loves to make sure that our office is always stocked with plenty to share. We are thankful to have Jessica on our team!
Bryce - Graham Location: General Store Manager
Bryce joined our team at our Graham Location in May 2022. He started out in the automotive industry in 2012. He always wanted to get into the industry, but wasn't sure how to get started. His previous employer offered him an entry level Tech position. Through hard work and dedication of 10 years with them, he worked his way through the company into a store manager position. His favorite thing abut his career is getting to build great relationships with people. He loves getting to help our customers, but also encouraging and leading our Team into great new heights. He is committed to having transparent communication by listening generously. This gives him the opportunity to learn how he can assist our team in our personal and professional goals.
Bryce's claim to fame is being a "Certified Amazing Father and Husband." He and his wife Brandi have three children; their two sons Logan and Luca, and their daughter Leilani. He was born and raised in Washington State, and loves cheering on our Seahawks! Depending on the time of year, you may find Bryce watching the Seahawks or his kids' sports games; or out in the mountains, big game hunting.
Rob - Graham Location: Sales Team Leader & Service Advisor
Rob has been in the Automotive Industry since 2009 and he joined our team as a Service Advisor in 2016. Now he enjoys taking care of our customers as our Sales Team Leader! Rob has completed the advanced service writing courses through our partnership with the Automotive Training Institute (ATI). He enjoys learning more about the automotive field, so he attends conferences and seminars to stay current. He has always enjoyed working on motorcycles, cars and hot rods. He loves anything to do with mechanical work.
Rob grew up in Everett. He joined the Army at 18 and ended his military career at Fort Lewis, WA. He shares his home with his fiancé Michaelann, and their son Greyson. In his free time Rob enjoys riding his motorcycle, playing the guitar, and playing video games.
Bret - Graham Location: Service Advisor
Bret joined our Team at Graham Auto Repair at the end of 2020 as an Automotive Technician. In 2022 Bret made the switch over to the front side of the shop! Now he is one of our Service Advisors at our Graham Location. He and his wife Kellee have three kids and three grandkids. Their family has a Rottweiler named Scout! Bret was born in Puyallup and grew up in Roy, attending the Yelm High School. He got into repairing vehicles by working on his own Motocross Bikes. As time went by he really got into Hot Rods! He has been working in the Automotive Field since April 1986. His favorite thing about working in this industry is having a good end result.
When Bret finds himself with spare time, he enjoys riding dirt & street bikes, working on his Corvette &1942 Mercury, camping, fishing, and going to the beach.
Ralph - Graham Location: Production Manager & Master Automotive Technician
Ralph has been serving at our Graham location since March 2023. Ralph enjoys helping and teaching others in the industry, and it shows! He is one of the Mentors in our Apprentice Program; and in September 2023 he took on the added responsibility of Production Manager. He comes to us with over 30 years of experience working in the Automotive Industry. He got started by working on his own cars while he was in high school and then while serving in the military. His favorite thing about his career is getting to see a satisfied customer.
Ralph was born in Seattle but grew-up in Montana. He and his wife Tina have two daughters and a son. When he isn't working on cars, Ralph also enjoys doing home repairs. He is an excellent dart player, loves riding bikes and spending time with his wife.
Greg - Graham Location: ASE Certified Master Technician
Greg joined our Team at our Graham Location in February 2023. He comes to us with 36 years in the Automotive Industry. He enjoys teaching and assisting other Technicians to grow; and he is on of the Mentors in our Apprentice Program. Greg has always had a love for cars and was inspired by a friend to pursue a career in Auto Repair. It wasn't long before Greg started earning his ASE Certifications. He has continued to maintain his certifications as a Master Automotive Technician, specializing in engine performance and electrical diagnostics. Greg's true passion has been mentoring and training aspiring Technicians, even working for a time as an Automotive Instructor at the college level. Although Greg has only been with us for a short time, he has already enjoyed the professional and family oriented culture at work.
In addition to working on cars, you will find Greg cooking, working out, listening to music, and watching sports & movies. He truly enjoys spending time with his family, including his son Matt, daughter Jenn, girlfriend Kathy, and his extended family as well. He is looking forward to exploring the United States and traveling to warmer places!
Justin - Graham Location: Apprentice Technician
Justin joined our Team in 2019. He serves at our Graham location as one of our Automotive Technicians. He is our first Technician to join our Washington State Certified Apprentice Program. Justin is constantly exceeding our expectations and is very performance driven. He takes pride in his work and is consistently looking for ways to learn and grow. Justin grew up in Ashford and Conrad, Montana; before calling Washington his home. He took Auto Shop in High School because he wanted to learn how to fix his own vehicles.
Justin and his fiance Lily have 3 dogs and 5 cats. In his free time he loves doing anything outdoors; including fishing, hunting, and off-roading. He is also a novice welder. He loves working on different vehicles, and completing new challenges every day.
Sean - Graham Location: Apprentice Technician
Sean joined our Team at our Graham Location in April 2022. Since day one he hit the ground running! He applied to complete the Washington State Certified Apprentice Program. He has already shown so much potential and we are excited to see all the new things that he will accomplish through the training in our Apprentice program. Sean has always loved working on cars. He likes to take things apart and put them back together again. He loves the feeling of accomplishment that he gets once he has repaired something that was broken. He has found a lot of passion in repairing cars, and in learning as many new things as possible!
Sean has a dog named Koda and a cat named Ernie. He was born on JBLM (Join Base Lewis McChord) and was raised in the area. When he graduated from High School he also earned a technician certificate in preventative maintenance. When he has free time, Sean enjoys playing video games, traveling, and working on cars (more!).
Patrick - Graham Location: Automotive Technician
Patrick has been serving at our Graham location since April 2023. He is one of our Automotive Technicians and has been working in the industry since 2019. Patrick had an interest in learning about working on cars at a very young age. For that reason he decided to complete his AA degree in Automotive Technology.
Patrick was born and raised in Seattle, WA. His favorite thing about his career is getting to meet new people. Not only does he enjoy learning new things all the time; but he also enjoys teaching others what he has learned. He is always striving to learn and grow; he takes accountability for the things he wants to learn and goes after it. In his free time Patrick enjoys hiking and spending time in the outdoors.
Allen - Yelm Location: General Store Manager
Allen joined our Team in August 2022 and immediately began training as the Store Manager for our Yelm Location. He comes to us with 26 years in the Automotive Industry, many of those years were spent in management. In January 2023 we celebrated Allen's promotion to Store Manager! Allen has been working on cars ever since he was old enough to hold a wrench. He loves racing cars and modifying them. Allen's favorite part about his career is getting to help people. He also enjoys getting to learn as much as he can about cars. That way he can share that knowledge with our customers. He is excited to use his experience, skills and knowledge to help grow our team!
When he's not spending his time with cars, you may find him camping, fishing, or hunting. He loves spending time with his family, which includes his fiance Julie and their 3 kids Isabell, Isaiah, and Noah. Their family has 4 cats - Bear, Mouse, Bella, and John Snow!
Christian - Yelm Location: Service Advisor
Christian joined our Team at our Yelm Location in June 2022. But he's not new to Graham Auto Repair! With Troy and Kori Vaninetti as his parents, Christian grew-up in and around the shop. He's been helping out and learning the business from a very young age. While we were in the process of building our Team for our second location, Christian stepped-up and applied to join us officially! During the interview process Christian told us that he wanted to start from the bottom and work his way up, just like his Dad. And he did just that--he started out as a Customer Service Rep, answering phones. Before long he began training as a Junior Advisor, and earned his position as a Service Advisor in under one year of training. It is evident throughout his work on a daily basis that Christian cares about our team and our customers. We are excited to see how Christian continues to grow, through his dedication to our Team Essentials and training.
Race - Yelm Location: Service Advisor
Race joined our Team at our Yelm location in May 2023 with over 15 years in the Automotive Industry. Race has always had a love for cars. As far back as he can remember he has been spending time with others who were working on and fixing cars, which is what got him working on them as well. You could say he came by it naturally! The thing that he enjoys the most about his career is getting to meet new people from all over. He loves getting the opportunity to help others, whether it's our customers or our team!
Race was born in Aberdeen and grew up in Elma, WA. He and his wife Alex have two sons, Jaden and Maverick. If he's not at work you will find Race spending all of his free time with his family. They love to travel together. It's their favorite thing to go on random adventures, and they make sure to go as often as possible!
Bart - Yelm Location: Production Manager & ASE Certified Technician
Bart joined our Team at our Graham Location in February 2022. He is now leading the way as the Production Manager & one of the Mentors in our Apprentice Program. He started his career in the Automotive Industry in 2018 after retiring from 20 years in the US Army, that same year. He decided to attend Bates Technical College to complete their Automotive Mechanic and Diesel Technology programs. Bart grew up working on cars with his dad and grandfather. After the military he was looking for something that could challenge him and keep him on his feet! He really enjoys the process of figuring out what is wrong with a vehicle and then being able to fix it. Bart has a thirst to learn and grow that is evident in his work, every day. Within his first year with us he completed his first four ASE Certifications. Besides being a very skilled Technician, he is very performance driven. He demonstrates passion for our mission, taking care of our team and our customers.
Bart and his wife Amber have two children, Lilly and McCray. Bart's favorite part of his day is spending time with his family. They have a dog named Rose and two cats, Doodles and Daphne. In his free time Bart enjoys hunting, fishing, and gardening.
Kevin - Yelm Location: ASE Certified Master Technician
Kevin joined our Team at our Yelm Location in January 2023. Kevin loves working on diesel engines the most. He also enjoys teaching other Technicians, as one of the Mentors in our Apprentice Program. He has been in the automotive industry since 2011. He has completed all of the A-level ASE Certifications, including for Engine Repair, Brakes and Electrical, to name a few. Kevin had an interest to work on cars at a young age. He started out with small engines and continued to grow his knowledge from there. In fact, the thing he enjoys the most about his career is the challenge it brings him; especially with ever-changing services. He built his first vehicle at 15 years old, a 1978 Jeep CJ-7.
Kevin and his wife Ashley have three children and two German Shepherds. He was born and raised locally, in Rainier, WA. When he's not at work, Kevin may be found building and restoring older vehicles at home. He also enjoys hunting and fishing, whenever he can get the chance.
Daniel - Yelm Location: Apprentice Technician
Daniel joined our team in August 2021 at our Graham Location. When we opened our second shop, Daniel was one of our first two Technicians to serve at our Yelm Location. Daniel served in the Army from 1991-2014 as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Specialist. In 2014 he decided to complete automotive training at Clover Park. He completed his AAT in Automotive; as well as multiple Certificates, including Ford MLR. His favorite thing about working in the automotive industry is learning as much as he can!
Daniel’s 1992 Mitsubishi Eclipse first got him interested in automotive. He started out with DIY projects, worked in an auto parts store during college, and eventually got out in the shop doing what he really loves: working on cars! Daniel and his wife Ann have three children, Rebecca, Cameron, and their Husky Namida. When he has time, Daniel enjoys gaming, building computers, grilling, and collecting. He is most proud of his Star Wars collection!
Shane - Yelm Location: Automotive Technician
Shane joined our Team at our Yelm Location, shortly after we opened our doors in June 2022. He has been in the automotive industry since the early 1990s. Growing up Shane found his love for fixing things by living on a ranch. He worked hard and learned everything that he could on his own. This drove him to his passion, for the challenge of fixing cars. It is always his mission to learn something new every day. Shane is thankful for the opportunity to support his family by doing something that he loves, while getting to make customers happy at the same time.
Shane and his wife Margo have three children; Nick, Gabe, and Nikol. They also have two dogs named Lady and Buck. When he's not at work, you can find Shane at home working on his property, or spending time with his family. He enjoys camping, hunting, and BBQs with family and friends.
Marcus - Yelm Location: Automotive Technician
Marcus joined our Team at our Yelm Location in May 2023. He has been in the Automotive Industry since 2018. Marcus grew up helping his dad work on company vehicles and equipment. He also spent time as the crew chief for a super late model race car that races all over the Northwest! His love for cars drove him to complete his Associates in Diesel Technology at Centralia College.
Marcus was born in Centralia and he grew up in Chehalis, WA. He has a nine year old black lab, hunting dog that he considers family. His favorite part of his career in the automotive field is getting to help people stay safely on the road. When he isn't at work, you can find Marcus spending most of his time outdoors. He loves hunting, fishing, and hiking; basically anything that gets him out in the open air!
Isaiah - Yelm Location: Technician Assistant
Isaiah joined our Team at our Yelm location in January 2023. As a current High School student here in Yelm, Isaiah has been excited for the opportunity to start his career in Automotive at an early age. He loves every opportunity to work on cars. He has been working on cars with his step-dad for years. His family has always had a love for cars!
Isaiah was born in Olympia and has grown-up in Yelm, WA. Besides spending time with his dog, Isaiah can be found doing anything to do with cars in his free time. Most of his time these days is spent focused on either school or work. But any opportunity that he gets, he spends working on his own car.
You! - Automotive Technician
Are you an Automotive Technician looking for a career where your Mechanic skills are appreciated, your personal time is valued, and continued paid training is expected? Graham Auto Repair is growing! We are looking for experienced Technicians to partner with our Team. To help us in our mission to change the face of automotive in a positive way. Click HERE to learn more about building your career at Graham Auto Repair. We will always accept applications for future opportunities with our Team.