Welcome to the CarFix Website!

About CarFix

James Allen
James Allen, owner of Carfix is an Orange County native. Born and raised just outside of Chapel Hill at a country store-service station, his automotive experience started early. His first shop, Auto Pro To Call in Chapel Hill, is currently a 20 bay facility with over 25 employees. James purchased this location and renamed it CarFix in 2005.

Residing today in southwest Orange County with his wife of over 38 years; they have two sons, one a Major in the Air Force and the other manages Carfix. James’ interests are automotive shop management and long distance motorcycle travel.


Mike Allen
Mike is the third generation of the Allen family to devote themselves to taking care of the community’s automotive service needs. Mike was raised in rural Orange County and split his time between his grandfather's service station and his father’s garage in Chapel Hill.

When the family opened Carfix, Mike and his wife Amanda moved to the Cleveland area where they have taken root in the community. In June of 2010, Mike’s first child, Elijah was born. When Mike isn’t at home with his family or at Carfix, he is usually out on his motorcycle or taking in a UNC game – GO HEELS!


Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly was born in Grandforks AFB, North Dakota.  Growing up in a military family, he traveled all over the country and world (including graduating high school in Panama City, Panama).  In 1996 Brian began to settle in Raleigh when he attended North Carolina State University (GO PACK!) and graduated with a Business Management/Computer Science degree. 

He lives in Raleigh with his new family, including his daughter, Lilly born December 2009. Along with spending time with family and friends, Brian enjoys writing and performing music, riding motorcycles, and snowboarding.

Mitch Bann
Mitch, originally from San Diego, is one of our most experienced service advisors. He started his career in the automotive industry in 1997. His constant drive to improve has made him one of the best service advisors in the area, while his knowledge of the industry is usually reserved for people twice his age.

He moved to North Carolina in 2004 to follow the love of his life, and now the mother of his two children; Logan and Hailey. When he is away from CarFix he still manages to spend time riding his dirt bikes, but now he has his children to ride with him! The team at CarFix all expects Logan to be the next great motocross superstar.

Larry Garrison
Larry is originally from Newport Rhode Island, but he moved to North Carolina in 1969.  With nearly 40 years of experience in the auto repair and tire business there is nothing in the industry that he hasn’t seen or done! 

Larry loves his work, but his passion is his family.  He has four children; two boys and two girls.  Larry spends much of his free time with his two grandchildren, Amber (6) and Ryan (8). 




David Kreidler
David was born in Fayetteville, but has spent most of his life in the Raleigh area. He is an ASE Certified technician who has been in the industry since 1995. David and his wife, Heather, have been married for nearly 10 years and have two sons; Tyler and Zack. When David isn’t spending time with his family he likes to ride bikes – either trail riding or on road. He is an active fundraiser for M.S. research through various cycling related events. His infectious smile and great attitude are a true asset to the Carfix team!




Ismael Leyva
Ismael has been with the Carfix family from the very beginning! He originally worked with us at our sister store Auto Pro To Call before moving to Carfix in 2006. Ismael and his wife Carlota had their first child, Jesslin, in 2008. When he isn’t spending time with his family, Ismael relaxes by going fishing.







Jim Kramer
Jim is one of the newest members of the Carfix staff, but he is also one of the most experienced! With over 35 years of experience as an automotive technician, there isn’t much he hasn’t seen or done! Jim is an ASE L1 Master Technician with several other advanced certifications in GM specific automobiles. In 2010 Jim, his wife Rita, and his youngest son Josh moved from Allentown, PA to Raleigh. Allentown’s loss was our gain, as Jim has rapidly become an integral part of the Carfix family. Jim is also an avid rock music fan and plays multiple instruments in his free time.



Rob Pelon
Rob is the youngest member of the Carfix team, but don’t let his age fool you! His dedication to customer service and drive to constantly learn has shown us that he is a great addition to our team. Originally hired at our sister store Auto Pro To Call, Rob was quickly promoted from within and is now our newest service advisor. While born and raised in Cary, he can be found outside of Fayetteville on most weekends – jumping out of airplanes! Rob is a passionate skydiver and a certified instructor with over 1200 jumps. He also enjoys the thrill of base jumping and has travelled extensively to jump from bridges and cliffs in North America and Europe.


Philip Tarquinio
Philip, originally from Syracuse NY, moved to North Carolina in 2000. He is an ASE Certified L1 Master Technician with over 15 years of experience in the industry. Philip is a key part of the Carfix team as he is always willing to help out his fellow employees. When Philip isn’t at work, he enjoys spending time with his family, including his son Mikey. They both enjoy riding dirt bikes and frequently can be found out riding trails on weekends. When not riding, Philip enjoys hunting for bargains at the Flea Market and Farmer’s Market.