About James

The Shop VA is excited to introduce James Hefferon as our Service Manager! James has 14 years of experience in the automotive industry and will be our customer’s main point of contact going forward.

Tell us about your background, experience, education, certifications etc.
I have been working in the automotive industry for 14 years, 1 year as a Mercedes Auto Body apprentice, 2 years in the Parts industry, 12 years with BMW as a Master Tech, Shop Foreman and Service Manager. I am a graduate of Nascar Technical Institute and the BMW STEP program. I am BMW Master Certified, BMW Hybrid Certified Blitz 3, EPA 609/MACS certified.

How did you first get into cars? And what do you like most about them?
As a kid I loved watching the old muscle car shows on the speed channel and began to notice people in my neighborhood with cool cars which made me want to learn more about them. I love the sound of a beautiful, well tuned engine.

What are your other hobbies?
I have a passion for building motorcycles and riding them. I also enjoy snowboarding in the winter months as well as hiking and camping.

What is the most rewarding experience you have had from working in the automotive industry?
Being able to bring a machine back to life when no one else can figure out what is wrong with it or had deemed it a hopeless cause.

What kind of music do you like?
I enjoy all genres of music. When I was younger I played Bassoon in the symphony at school. I currently listen to Hip Hop and Jam Band music the most.

Married? Kids? Pets?
I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 9 years, we have two boys ages 6 and 3 years old.

What do you like most about working at The Shop?
The workplace culture at The Shop is unparalleled to any service center I have worked in. We are encouraged to work at our own pace and spend the time to diagnose and fix the vehicles the right way which goes a long way to reducing stress in a tough field. It feels like I come to work everyday with my second family.