The Always There Automotive story
Every morning when Sean Radford drives into his Grovedale workshop, he passes a small service station anyone else might overlook. To him, it’s more than a car park — it’s a daily reminder of where it all began — and just how far a bit of courage and good timing can take you.
It was 2014, fresh out of the Australian Army, when Sean settled in Geelong and started building his mobile mechanic business one driveway at a time. On what seemed like an ordinary day, he pulled into that service station and noticed something unusual: the workshop sat empty. No cars on hoists, no tools scattered about, just potential waiting to be seized.
“I just asked the question,” Sean recalls with characteristic humility. That simple inquiry led to his first proper workshop location, transforming him from a solo mobile operator into a business owner with a physical presence in the community.
Fast forward to June 2025, and Always There Automotive stood on stage at the Palladium at Crown Melbourne, accepting the VACC Best Small Automotive Business – Regional award. With six locations across Victoria and Queensland, a seventh specialist 4×4 store in the works, and a team of 50 skilled professionals, Sean’s journey embodies what can happen when technical excellence meets genuine people skills.
Ask Sean about the secret to his success, and he won’t talk about the latest diagnostic equipment or the strategic locations of his workshops. Instead, he’ll tell you about people — specifically, about a networking group in Geelong where he met Craig, the business partner who would help transform Always There Automotive from a promising local workshop into a regional success story.
“From day one, we just hit it off,” Sean says of that first meeting. It’s a partnership that, on paper, might seem unlikely. Craig came from a long career in IT, not automotive. He can’t strip an engine or diagnose a misfire. But what he brings to the table is something equally valuable: leadership, business acumen, and the same people-first philosophy that drives Sean.
Together, they’ve built something that goes beyond traditional automotive service. While Sean brings his mechanical expertise and industry knowledge, Craig contributes his organisational skills and approach to business management. It’s a partnership built on complementary strengths and shared values, particularly when it comes to team culture and customer service.
Craig and Sean are both people persons. Sean explains, “We understand that this business isn’t just about fixing cars — it’s about building relationships, developing our team, and being there for our customers when they need us.”
That philosophy extends throughout the entire organisation. Walk into any Always There Automotive location and you’ll notice something different. The apprentices aren’t stuck doing oil changes and watching from the sidelines. They’re in the tools from day one, experiencing every facet of the industry under the guidance of experienced technicians.
This approach isn’t just good training — it’s strategic retention. In an industry notorious for high staff turnover, Always There Automotive has cracked the code. Their secret? Investment in people.
“We don’t just hire apprentices and hope they work out,” Sean says. “We take pride in turning them into mechanics. Real, skilled professionals who know their craft inside and out.”
But it’s not just the apprentices who benefit from this growth-focused culture. Senior technicians regularly head out for skills and knowledge updates. Sean recognises that continuous learning isn’t optional — it’s essential.
With electric vehicles entering the mainstream, advanced driver assistance systems becoming standard, and diagnostic technology advancing rapidly, professional development creates a virtuous cycle: skilled, confident technicians deliver better service, better service builds customer loyalty, and that loyalty fuels business growth, allowing more investment back into the team.
It’s a philosophy that’s helped Always There Automotive expand from that single service station workshop to six locations, with a seventh on the way.
The locations themselves tell a story of strategic thinking and community focus. Grovedale, Lara, Anglesea, Ocean Grove, Torquay, and up in Queensland’s Ashmore — each workshop serves its local community while contributing to a larger network of expertise and capability. The newest location in Torquay, opened in July 2025, strengthens their service offering along Victoria’s Surf Coast.
The upcoming specialist 4×4 store will mark another evolution, tapping into the growing demand for off-road expertise and accessories.
But expansion for expansion’s sake has never been the goal. “We’ve grown because we’re doing things right,” Sean notes. “We’re not cutting corners or chasing quick wins. We’re building something sustainable.”
That’s why Always There Automotive offers free quotes, loan cars for a small fee, and waiting rooms that don’t feel like punishment. They’ve even furnished them with retired chairs — recycled furniture that’s both comfortable and environmentally conscious.
Their service range reflects a deep understanding of customer needs: from routine logbook servicing to complex diagnostics, from brake repairs to air conditioning, from supplying and fitting tyres to specialised Uber vehicle inspections.
They work on everything from family sedans to European imports, from diesel engines to 4WDs, and even on trailers and caravans.
Sean and Craig’s success isn’t accidental. They’ve got their fingers on the pulse of industry trends, understanding that being a mechanic today requires more than technical skill — it requires adaptability and vision.
Their investment in the newest technology, including specialty tooling and state-of-the-art scan tools, isn’t about flashy equipment. It’s about ensuring jobs are done right the first time, diagnosing complex issues accurately, and keeping pace with innovation.
This forward-thinking approach extends to their business model. With nearly 60 years of combined industry experience across their team, they blend old-school mechanical knowledge with new-world technology and customer service excellence.
They understand that today’s car owners have different expectations than those of previous generations — they want transparency, communication, and partnership in vehicle maintenance decisions.
For all their business success, what really defines Always There Automotive is its commitment to the communities it serves. Through sponsorships of local sports teams and charitable organisations, they’ve woven themselves into the fabric of regional life.
“We believe in giving back and making a positive difference where it counts,” the team emphasises. “It’s not marketing speak — it’s a genuine philosophy that recognises business success is intertwined with community wellbeing.”
The VACC award win in June 2025 validated what their customers already knew: Always There Automotive delivers exceptional service with integrity. Judged on criteria including customer service excellence, business management, environmental impact, and workplace practices, the award represented independent recognition of everything Sean and Craig have built.
But ask Sean about it, and the humility shines through. He’ll redirect the conversation to his team, to the customers who’ve trusted them, and to the communities that have supported their growth.
As they prepare to open their seventh location — the specialist 4×4 store — and continue refining their operations across existing sites, the future looks bright. But success hasn’t changed the core philosophy: invest in people, deliver honest service, stay connected to the community, and never stop learning.
From that chance encounter at a service station to industry recognition, Sean Radcliff’s journey reminds us that business success is built on more than technical skill alone. It’s built on relationships, humility, vision, and the understanding that when you invest in people — whether they’re team members or customers — everyone wins.
And every morning, when Sean drives past that first workshop location, he’s reminded not just of how far he’s come, but of the simple truth that started it all:
Sometimes, you just have to ask the question.
Originally published in VACC Automotive February 2026 – https://issuu.com/vaccofficial/docs/vacc_automotive_february_2026/16
