News

Have you met . . . Howard Hancock, Matt Egdorf,
Bill Huggins, and Rich McKinney?

Howard Hancock grew up fixing cars, building cars, racing cars, and selling cars. Since growing up in Northville, Michigan, a farming community near Detroit, Hancock has found his niche with a neighborhood auto repair shop at 145 N. First Street in College Hill. His business is built on his hometown values of trust and customer service.

"I enjoy problem solving and working with customers," said Hancock. "The challenge of making our customers happy and doing a real thorough job is what sets our service apart from others."

Looking at service from the point of view of the customer also sets Hancock Automotive apart. His motto, "old fashioned service with state-of-the-art technology" isn't just for advertising. His service manager, Bill Huggins and their two master mechanics, Matt Egdorf and Rich McKinney, are trained in the latest computer technology along with that commitment to service. They service both imported and domestic cars, offering front end alignments, drive train, electrical, and brake work, mufflers and exhaust systems, tires, air conditioner, heater, and climate control. Egdorf specializes in import carts, and McKinney, who formerly owned First Street Automotive, is the domestic car specialist.

"We spend time diagnosing problems and make sure they get fixed," said Hancock, who also is active in keeping the College Hill neighborhood up to its long-time reputation as one of the premiere areas of Wichita.

"I'm committed to improving the neighborhood," said Hancock, who lives in College Hill. He has purchased several derelict houses and property including houses in College Hill and fixed them up. Now they are well-kept rental homes which don't attract criminal or other elements. Hancock Automotive's building was originally built as a Skelly gas station in 1953, so it has a long history in the College Hill area.

"I plan to be here a long time," Hancock continued. His future plans are to renovate and expand his by adding service bays and enlarging his waiting area. Hancock's father, Edward, put the grease in Howard's veins when he raced Porches and other sports cars with legends like Caroll Shelby. He owned Hancock Imported Car Service in Ann Arbor, so Howard was part of the business starting young. He built kit cars, sold imports, then later worked for Mazda, Vokswagon, Audi, and Porche and also was in auto racing for Richard Maskin and Total Engineering in Detroit during thee 1980s.

With that background, of course Hancock owns a couple of vintage cars--a 1966 Corvette, and a 1954 Chevrolet truck. He came to Wichita in 1989 after his father moved here--just to visit. But stayed on to work first for Gorges Volvo and Import Auto Center, and later for Hershorn Auto Center. By 1998, Hancock was ready to own his own business.

"I've learned I like to call the shots and do my own thing," he quipped. "It's a challenge, but I enjoy it." It shows because of the number of long-time customers who like the idea of knowing their mechanic and having their car fixed right the first time.

- Article courtesy of, Cathy Feemster, East Wichita News