ALVA STARTED HIS BUSINESS WITH HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN
GROVESPRING, MISSOURI OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO. HE OPERATED HIS SHOP OUT OF AN OLD GARAGE BUILDING ON HIS BROTHER RALPH'S PROPERTY
ON AMAZON DRIVE.
IN 1982 ALVA BOUGHT A HOME AND SHOP ON NORTH HIGHWAY
5 IN LEBANON AND MOVED HIS SHOP THERE. AT THE TIME THAT HE BOUGHT THE POPERTY HE WAS EMPLOYED AT THE LEE COMPANY ALSO. ALVA
REBUILT CARS AT NIGHT AND ON WEEKENDS AND SOLD THEM, MOSTLY TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY STILL OPERATING ON A SMALL SCALE.
IN 1984 HE AND SONJA WERE MARRIED AND ALVA LOST HIS
JOB WITH THE LEE COMPANY. THIS WAS THE START OF THE FULL TIME AUTO BODY SHOP. IN THE MID EIGHTIES ALVA EMPLOYED 4 EMPLOYEES
OTHER THAN HIMSELF, SONJA'S UNCLE, RONNIE SHOCKLEY (WHO IS STILL EMPLOYED WITH THE COMPANY), DAVID MCCLANAHAN, JOYCE HUCKABY
AND ALVA'S NEPHEW BRAD STARNES (WHO OPERATES THE GLASS SHOP PART OF THE BUSINESS).
OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS ALVA BECOME INVOLVED WITH
SEVERAL INSURANCE COMPANIES, BECOMING DIRECT REPAIR FACILITIES FOR THE COMPANIES. IN 1993 ALVA DECIDED TO EXPAND INTO THE
AUTO GLASS BUSINESS AND RENTED A BUILDING ON ELM STREET TO OPERATE THE GLASS BUSINESS.
IN THE MIDDLE NINETIES MORE EMPLOYEES WERE ADDED TO
THE BUSINESS AND THE NEED TO EXPAND WAS NEEDED. ALVA BOUGHT A COUPLE MORE SHOPS TO ACCOMMODATE THE EXTRA EMPLOYEES AND WORK
LOAD. IT WAS ALSO AT THIS TIME THAT ALVA AND SONJA DECIDED TO INCORPORATE THEIR BUSINESS AND MAKE MUCH NEEDED EXPANSION PLANS.
IN JULY 2007 ALVA AND SONJA MADE THE DECISION TO PURCHASE
THEIR CURRENT LOCATION ON HISTORIC ROUTE 66. THIS IS WHEN THE GLASS SHOP MOVED TO THE NEW LOCATION WHILE THEY WERE REMODELING
AND BUILDING. THEN A YEAR LATER THE BODY SHOP MADE THEIR "BIG MOVE".
NOW EVERYONE IS UNDER THE SAME ROOF AND THE BUSINESS CONTINUES TO THRIVE.
ALVA AND SONJA WANT TO THANK ALL OF THEIR CUSTOMERS,
PAST AND PRESENT, FOR THEIR PATRONAGE, BUT MOSTLY THEIR LOYALTY OVER THE PAST YEARS. THESE CUSTOMERS HAVE MADE STARNES AUTO
L.L.C. THE SUCESSFUL HOMETOWN BUSINESS THAT IT IS TODAY.
