Leading by example

Motor Age and PTEN are committed to supporting young technicians in the automotive aftermarket and we want to shine a spotlight on those who are paving a successful path in the industry. This is part of a monthly series to showcase the best young talent in our industry.

Michael Caligiuri, a fleet mechanic at the New York Nassau County Police Department, does his best to lead by example. Whether it’s creating an innovative process to help others at work or putting himself in the customers’ shoes, Caligiuri is set on making his mark in the industry. And the industry is taking notice.

This young technician made it into the top ten candidates for the first annual PTEN and Motor Age Best Young Tech Award, a program that aims to recognize innovation, dedication, and excellence in the industry’s technicians aged 35 and younger.

Caligiuri spent two years as a shop teacher showing people the ins and outs of the industry, but even outside the classroom, he’s passionate about helping his coworkers on the shop floor. He wants to be sure they don’t become discouraged and continue enjoying what they do.

The young tech has gone so far as to create a process for installing GPS systems in a previous fleet he worked on, as well as a PowerPoint detailing that process so other technicians could learn. He’s also taken the initiative to learn how to repair generators in-house just by buying a repair manual and teaching himself. This not only furthered his skillset but also saved the company money as the repairs no longer needed to be sent out.

Additionally, when speaking with customers, Caligiuri tries to be empathetic to their concerns.

“We have a reputation as grease monkeys who take from people,” Caligiuri says. “I want to change that and make people appreciate and respect what we do.”

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received in your career?

Do unto others as you want to be treated, like the golden rule. Kind of like if you are a customer bringing a car into a shop, how would you feel if somebody treated you the way that you treat them? I always try to give people that rule of, ‘Be nice to them, and treat them as you want to be treated.’

What are your career aspirations?

I hope to eventually move up into a full management role. The place I'm at now has the ability to move up. I would hopefully like to be the director one day.

How did you first become interested in the auto industry?

My friend’s dad was a body man, and he had a side business at his house with cars in the backyard. And I used to hang out there all the time. And him working on the cars, he’d let us, you know, do a little bit of work here and there, pulling apart motor or something, and I just always liked cars, so it kind of stuck with me.

If you weren’t in the auto industry, what do you think you would be doing?

I would probably go into law enforcement.

What’s the most challenging or memorable repair you’ve worked on?

The most challenging repair I had was once my boss had a Mercedes 2005 CL65. It was a B12 twin-turbo engine car. He bought it at an auction, and they were trying to dismantle it. I guess they weren't paying the bill. They were trying to dismantle it before it got repossessed, so when it got repossessed, the entire motor was yanked out of the car. It was in pieces. The wiring harness was ripped off. They pretty much destroyed it.

My boss gave me the task of putting the entire car back together. I found every piece. I talked to dealers, and I was able to put it back together to factory standards and get it warranted for a couple of issues as well.

What was your first job in the auto industry?

I was a mechanic for my neighbor’s shop. Basically, doing oil changes, brake jobs, and just basic repairs. And he kind of guided me and gave me a little bit more insight as to how stuff works and how to work up the ladder.

What is your favorite tool and why?

My favorite tool I like the multimeter cause I like to do a lot of electrical diagnostics, so I would say the Power Probe multimeter is a pretty useful tool for anything electrical.