LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A Las Vegas-owned auto shop near Flamingo and Decatur is applying for grant funding to replace its outdated sign as part of an effort to attract more customers amid rising parts costs.
A Auto Center has been serving the Las Vegas Valley for eight years, managed by Nikki Mercer, who has worked at the shop since 2021. Mercer said she grew up working on cars with her father before joining the business.
“I saw this place was hiring, and he’s like, ‘Do you know about mechanics?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ He’s like, ‘You can work a computer?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ And he goes, ‘You’re in.’ And I haven’t left,” Mercer said.
Mercer said parts prices have increased significantly, causing business at the shop to fluctuate.
“It’s really hard to be competitive. We’ve been lowering labor rates and just trying to get people into the door,” she said.
To help attract customers, Mercer wants to replace the shop’s current sign, which does not display the business name correctly.
“It’s the marking point of where we start, because when you see people drive down Flamingo, that’s one of the first things they see. It’s high up. It’s just like any billboard,” she said.
She is applying for a new grant available to qualifying small businesses in District A. The grant will provide up to $25,000 for certain building improvements.
“I’m like, how do we apply? Like, what do I have to know?” Mercer said about the grant opportunity.
District A Commissioner Michael Naft said he hopes projects like the sign replacement will have broader community impact.
“Look at the shopping center that we’re at right now,” Naft explained. “A beautification of one of the units in this space is absolutely going to have a ripple effect and a cumulative effect on this entire plaza.”
To qualify for the grant, businesses must be located in District A, have fewer than 20 full-time employees, and generate less than $2 million in annual gross revenue.
You can find more information about what businesses qualify, what the money can be used for, and how to apply below:
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