Rife's Autobody Marble Cliff location. Photos courtesy of Rob Joseph
From a local produce route in the 1930s to an auto body shop today, the family name “Rife” has been seen in the Tri-Village area for many years.
It first appeared on the wagons and trucks used by the Charles Rife family to deliver produce in central Ohio. Then it appeared on the market Charles and his son, Donald, opened at 1417 W. Fifth Ave. in the early 1940s. That store included quality meats, produce and other food items. Rife’s Market remained on the corner of Fifth and Grandview avenues until closing in 2014.
In 1944, Donald left Rife’s Market to open Rife Motor Sales at 1500 Grandview Ave. He sold used cars, motorcycles and parts. That company became Grandview-Fifth Auto Service and moved to 1407 W. Fifth Ave. (next to the market), where auto body repair services were added (the forerunner of Rife’s Autobody).
In 1981, Donald sold Grandview-Fifth Auto Service to his son, Donald H. Rife Sr., and his wife, Nancy, who continued its operation, with the exception of the mechanical portion, which was closed in 1983. In 1988, Donald H. Rife Jr. joined Grandview-Fifth Auto Service as a manager. At that point, the family began investing heavily in remodeling the Fifth Avenue building, certifying its workers and purchasing new equipment. That same year, the business name was changed to Rife’s Autobody-Grandview, as Don Sr. planned to open more locations around Columbus.
“We currently have a Westerville store and are always looking for expansion opportunities to benefit our customers and employees,” says Don Jr., now president.
The home of the oldest family-owned and operated collision repair shop in Columbus remained on Fifth Avenue until 1997, when it moved to its current building at 2300 Cardigan Ave. in Marble Cliff.
“We’ve expanded the building to almost 19,000 square feet and are now looking for more space,” says Don Jr.
Don Jr.’s sister, Melissa, joined the business in 1995 and is presently comptroller and 50-50 owner of Rife’s Autobody. Her husband, Mike Troxel, is manager of the Marble Cliff location, while Don Jr.’s wife, Sandy, is in charge of special projects. The company recently welcomed the fourth Rife generation to the business – Don Jr. and Sandy’s daughter, Tyler, a customer service representative at the Westerville store.
Don Jr. believes the company’s 72-year history and family ownership-operation make a big difference for customers.
“Customers deal with the owners, who ensure they are getting the repairs specified by the car manufacturers. It costs a lot to become a certified repair shop for the seven car manufacturers we currently represent … Acura, Audi, Cadillac, Honda, Infiniti, Tesla and Volkswagen. We must have the correct manufacturer’s equipment and certified training if our customers’ cars are to get the required repairs. Their car should be like before the collision. Its resale value and safety are affected if we don’t use the right parts,” says Don Jr.
Don Jr. says the craftsmen repair about 3,200 cars a year.
“The work is hard and requires an artistic approach,” he says. “We have very low employee turnover among our 44 employees. But we must continually look for people with a passion for cars and a desire to learn if Rife’s Autobody is to open more locations and secure more auto company certifications.”
Don Jr. thinks Rife’s Autobody is a special company.
“We practice what we preach when it comes to repairs and customer satisfaction,” he says. “Eighty-six percent of our business is repeat or by referrals. Statistics show that a car owner averages a collision requiring a body shop once every seven years. The Rife family wants Rife’s Autobody to be here to serve their needs for many years to come.”
Bill Johannes is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at hbealer@cityscenecolumbus.com.
