About the A & P Family
Ray
Raymond Oakley was born into the automotive repair business. His dad, Ray Senior, opened
A&P Service in the Town of Ossining in 1969, and Raymond began his apprenticeship there
at the tender age of six.
In 1992 Ray decided to start his own business. He bought an auto body repair shop that boasted one battered 1978 truck, used for fetching damaged cars and bringing them to the shop for repair. Ray immediately replaced it with a 1993 Chevy. With the care he has lavished on that '93 Chevy, it's still on the road and going strong today, twelve years later.
As a one man show, Ray learned all aspects of auto body work from the inside. Now, as owner and manager of A & P, Ray not only supervises his staff of 6 mechanics and four drivers, he also serves as driver, painter, mechanic, auto repair person and mentor. Dad joined the firm in 1999, one year after he retired from A & P Service and is now happily employed by his son.
In 1999, Ray met Laura, and they were engaged within a year and married soon after. It's a perfect match because Laura brought to the partnership almost twenty years of experience in the automotive business.
Laura
Together, Ray and Laura decided to expand the towing side of the business, adding a tow truck, a flatbed, an autoload and a heavy duty Peterbilt to their award winning fleet. Their goal was to be able to service all types of vehicles, from Mini Coopers to tractor trailers, and in this they've succeeded so well that this year alone, they'll be adding two new Peterbilt trucks to the fleet.
The Welcoming Committee
Ray brought one "child" into the marriage: a two year old Yorkshire terrier named Dusty. Dusty's daughter Diesel, born in 2003, and her son Rocco, born a year later, spend their days at A & P greeting visitors — especially children, whom they love! Because they're so friendly, and their hair— not fur — is hypoallergenic, they've been dubbed the welcoming committee, and love nothing better than being in the middle of the action.
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