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NEW MEMBER PROFILE
MP Mechanical
COVID-19 GOOD NEWS STORY
BY ROBERT LAIDLAW
Mitchell Pope’s career path has taken a positive step, thanks ironically to a negative consequence of COVID-19, which led to the creation of MP Mechanical Tyres & Auto. While working through his apprenticeship as a mechanic with the MTA, Mitchell was honing his trade with Stillwell Kia, a company he planned to work with long term, but then the pandemic hit and life started to change for the 23-year-old.
three to four days a week. By February this year, MP Mechanical Tyres & Auto was operating full time. “Last year was challenging – I lost my job and spent all of my savings on a workshop bond and start up tools,” Mitchell said. “Financially it was one of the hardest years of my life.
“I was hosted throughout my apprenticeship by Stillwell Kia, which was purchased by City Holden in April/May last year,” Mitchell said.
“Now I spend in excesses of 70 hours a week at the workshop. It’s hard, it’s very hard, but I really enjoy handing over a vehicle where the customer is happy with their car. At the end of the day, the customer makes it worthwhile. A happy customer is a happy workshop.”
“Stillwell’s was bought during the middle of COVID-19, which made finding new employment challenging. I was fortunate enough to have a basic set-up at home that allowed me to work on vehicles on the ground.
How Mitchell found his calling as a mechanic is interesting, as initially he studied IT in middle school at St Columba College at Andrews Farm, before he decided it (IT) wasn’t for him.
“I registered the business name MP Mechanical Tyres & Auto and created an ABN, as I had a small clientele of around 10-15 customers. I created Instagram and Facebook pages, then began advertising.
Then he kind of followed in his father’s footsteps, who was an industrial refrigeration mechanic.
“Gradually the business built up and by October last year I was out of room at home and began looking for a workshop locally, which would suit my needs.” After around a month, in early November 2020, Mitchell secured a lease at Edinburgh North and started the transition into his new workshop, where he was working
mtasant.com.au
“Yes, Dad was an influence in that direction, but I always enjoyed riding motorbikes at my grandparent’s property and fixing them, and go-carts – I was always hands on and enjoyed working with moving parts,” Mitchell said. “I started my apprenticeship through the MTA, where I completed all of my training. The MTA offered fantastic facilities and training to all their apprentices. Any minor issues I had with host employers were rectified swiftly.
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