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Jim Suprinski (left) and Diana Cole-Joerns moved from Illinois to live their dream of owning their own business. The couple now owns The Boat & Auto Shop on Tallulah Road. Photo by Art Miller/amiller@grahamstar.com
Tallulah – The Boat & Auto Shop has new owners, but Jim Suprinski and Diana Cole-Joerns insist that they are “not changing a thing.”
The couple and their two dogs recently moved from Illinois and are living in a travel-trailer behind the shop.
“Just like the former owners, we are always here,” said Suprinski. “We’re offering the same services and keeping the same employees and will be looking to hire more locally.”
After 15 years of working in restaurant management, Suprinski was laid off in 2016 and decided to pursue his dream of “never working for anybody else, ever again.” His family had vacationed in western North Carolina since he was four years old and when he saw Dave and Diane Armontrout’s ad for the boat shop, Suprinski thought that buying the business might be the answer.
“I’ve owned my boat for 23 years, so this seemed like a chance to combine my hobby with my business experience,” Jim said.
Cole-Joerns, a registered nurse, was ready to escape to the mountains, too.
“The first time he brought me here, I was completely speechless,” she said. “The beauty was just so amazing, I actually couldn’t speak.”
As for her new career as a business owner, Cole-Joerns said, “I love every minute of it.”
The Boat & Auto Shop offers boating equipment; repairs and service for autos, boats, and trailers; boat and RV storage; boat hauling and welding, among other services.
The shop is located at 333 Tallulah Road and can be reached at 479-9799.