Robert Mathis Jr. settles into new Albany location after five years as mobile mechanic

ALBANY – Jr’s Mobile Mechanic is now stationary, with owner Robert Mathis Jr. getting off the road and into a location next door to the car wash where he cleaned autos as a teenager.

Mathis, who spent 5 1/2 years with the mobile business, said that Top Tier Mechanics will provide the same service, with a same-day repair rate of better than 90%, at the 1400 W. Broad Ave. location near the neighborhood where he spent much of his youth.

“Since 2020, we have served over 700 vehicles,” said Mathis, whose new shop was celebrated with a Thursday ribbon-cutting by the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce. “I’m a diagnostic technician. We can diagnose any system on your vehicle and give you a guaranteed repair.”

The Top Tier owner got into operating his own business when he was a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I was forced out of my last job when COVID hit, so I had no choice except to sink or swim,” he said. “I was the last hired. I was out of work for four months. I said ‘I got to do something.’”

To embark on the venture, Mathis took courses through the U.S. Small Business Administration to improve his business acumen. But it was the time on the road that convinced him that a permanent location would be more to his liking. That feeling was reinforced when weather was inclement.

“Ten years ago, I started studying as hard as I could,” Mathis said. “Late nights, no sleep, working on some Sundays, sometimes seven days a week. I worked in the snow last year. It was so cold I couldn’t feel my toes. 

“I prayed for three years to God: ‘Let me not have to stand out in the cold.’ I said in 2023 that I would not be without my building in five years, and I did it in three.”

Mathis got into the world of auto repair through Albany Technical College, which he attended to receive certification as a diesel technician. After dropping out of Westover High School in his junior year due to boredom, he quickly earned his General Educational Development certificate and, with the assistance of a federal Pell grant, jumped into the Albany Tech diesel program. 

His schedule at the time was washing cars in the morning, attending classes and then returning to work at the car wash, where he started working at the age of 15

Although his first interest was diesel, Mathis’ circumstances led him to work on gasoline systems, assisted by a teacher who took an interest.

“I had a ‘97 Chevy Cavalier,” he said. “My car broke down once a week. My teacher helped me fix my car. I studied diesel, but I learned gasoline more. I was determined to learn. Two decades later, I’m here. Nineteen years later and I’m thanking God every day.

“He sent me away with two skills: diesel and gasoline. My teacher knew I wanted to be in school. Those teachers, they had heart.”

Mathis remains connected to Albany Tech by serving as a mentor through the Teaching Empowering African American Males to Succeed (TEAMMS) program. He also is bringing his son, Chavez Mathis, a senior at Monroe High School, into his business.

During a recent visit to his alma mater, Mathis was impressed by the facilities that are part of the Dr. Anthony O. Parker Transportation Academy.

Serving as a mentor is a way for Mathis to give back to the college that helped launch his career.

“The kids I have mentored definitely needed the direction I did not get and the guidance I can give from the things I have learned along the way,” he said. “I was fascinated with the (Albany Tech) shops. I heard about it, but when I came back to see the changes, man, it was remarkable.”

Now, Mathis has an Automotive Service certification in gasoline systems and diagnostic equipment to service most domestic and Japanese imports. In addition to diagnostics and repairs for auto systems, the shop also handles services like brakes, oil changes, tune-ups and other maintenance.

And, the shop still has the same number as the one Mathis had while working on the road: (229) 395-1100.

In getting to where he is today, Mathis said he has to thank a sermon he heard. He doesn’t remember whether it was a message he heard at a church or on the radio, but the theme was to not get stuck in one place.

“I definitely believe in personal growth,” he said. “Do not stay in the same place forever. Find something new that you can do.”