Jeremy Harmer is the co-owner of JNP Motorsports, a new automotive service shop in Austin. Harmer is one of five mechanics at the shop. Photo by Matt Peterson/matt.peterson@austindailyherald.com

Jeremy Harmer’s dream is coming true.

The 26-year-old local resident has dreamed of owning his own automotive service shop for the past 10 years. After about a year of preparation, Harmer and his family came together to open JNP Motorsports in Austin in March.

“I’ve been in the process of trying to get going for quite a while here,” Harmer said.

He has loved working on cars practically all his life, and has tried for quite some time to get his own shop. Things started to fall into place last year, as he saved enough money and bought the old Penske shop space on the west side of the old Kmart building late last year.

Harmer still remembers coming into the Penske space on the Thursday before Christmas. It hadn’t been used for anything other than storage in about 10 years, and took a while to clean up, according to Harmer. Yet Harmer, his younger brother, Patrick, his mother, Jan, and his sister, Nicole, transformed the space from dank closet to professional shop, complete with six bays.

Jeremy and Patrick are two of JNP’s five mechanics, while Jan and Nicole take care of administrative duties. Though Jeremy has been a mechanic at other places, he enjoys owning his own shop.

“I personally think it’s better,” he said. “It’s a lot of work, but we get more satisfaction out of it, I think.”

JNP has been open for more than a month and is already getting steady work on European cars, though Jeremy says the shop can do anything and everything from oil changes to engine repairs. The Harmers are still working on a few things before holding a grand opening, which includes the new tire changer and rebalance machines they had installed Tuesday.

Business is sure to pick up in the next couple months, as Jeremy said winter and summer are the peak times for cars to fall into disrepair. Jeremy said residents usually bring in cars for air conditioning issues in the summer, but people can prevent car issues by getting their oil changed and tires checked in the spring, as well as a preventative tune-up when necessary.

For Jeremy, JNP Motorsports is a dream come true.

“It was the right time,” he said.