There are stories that end with a twist. Twisted Addiction Auto in Sonoita gives us a jolt at the beginning. How is this name connected to an auto repair shop? The three owner/operator/mechanics, George Burrescia, Ken Redding and his father, Mark Redding,
have stories about creating their auto shop that have twists and turns both entertaining and serious.
They wanted a name that people would not forget. The “addiction” is to vehicles—and working on them, repairing and rebuilding them. It is “twisted,” Burrescia says, because “it never ends.” Looking at the many vehicles in the lot he explained that about one-third of them are currently being repaired for customers and one-third of them are their own vehicles brought from home. (Ken Redding’s wife, Michelle, also an owner of the
business, wanted her garage back—for her own car.) Sometimes they buy a vehicle from Craigslist, if they see one with potential that interests them. The last one-third were brought by customers who took their advice that their cars probably were not worth repairing. Those are in the process of being removed.
Burrescia and Ken Redding got the license for their new business in December 2015. They moved into the building in February 2016, both working nights and weekends on their own cars, plus a few from locals. The business grew and Burrescia began working full time in September 2016. Mark Redding joined them in March, 2017. Ken Redding began working full time in December 2017.
Burrescia, and Ken and Mark Redding have much in common. All three worked as mechanics at Lawley’s in Sierra Vista. Burrescia worked as a mechanic for four years and in parts for five. Ken Redding worked there for six years, and Mark Redding for three years. They all enjoy looking at an auto to see its possibilities, with the goal of customizing, and have various interests in motor sports. Ken Redding likes low riders and mini trucks and Mark Redding’s special interest is classic hot rods from the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. Burrescia prefers imports and participating in open track and drift days.
The three have very different histories. Ken Redding may be remembered by some people for the talk he gave December 6 at the Sonoita Fairgrounds. Judge Keith Barth had asked Redding to speak at the appreciation luncheon for inmates and officers at the Department of Corrections. Redding received a standing ovation after speaking about his journey building a new life during and after eight years in the state prison in Tucson.
Redding acknowledged, “I was a bad dude. I was always in trouble from age 13 to 27. It’s easy to learn more bad things in prison. You can become a lot worse – or look forward to a better life.” He went into prison as a house painter and came away a mechanic by taking classes through Pima Community College.
When he got out of prison, he worked two years in Yuma with his father at a Toyota dealership. Two men there were instrumental in bringing him to Sierra Vista to work at Lawley, giving him a chance to excel by learning both technical and managerial skills. He became shop foreman at Lawley’s Nissan, Chevy and Honda departments.
Mark Redding’s first real auto experience at age 13 was ordering a 1950 Ford F100, which arrived in pieces. He spent the next two years putting it together. An accomplished mechanic of 30 years, he has lived and worked in many different places. Now he has another dream. About ten years ago he became interested in health and nutrition. He finished one third of the requirements for certification as an herbalist through a program in Utah. He hopes to complete the program, work half time as a mechanic, and offer his services as an herbalist—allowing people to pay what they can afford. Mark believes “the body can heal itself if we give it what it needs.”
Burrescia says his story is the simplest. He grew up working on cars from the age of ten with his father, who had multiple vehicles. He always knew what he wanted to do—and went to Cochise College in Sierra Vista for automotive hands-on training before starting at the original Chevy shop at Lawley.
The most recent twist in this story was an accidental fire which damaged the lifts, electrical equipment and windows, but not the structure of their garage. While their insurance covers liability for vehicles, it does not cover damage to their equipment. But they are determined to overcome this setback. Anyone wishing to donate toward their recovery
from the fire can go to this website: https://www.gofundme.com/twisted-addiction-fire-help