Dave Anderson - Dave was born in a small village, Salcimi, close to the Black Sea in Romania. He grew up with the aspiration of moving to the States, and living the American Dream. At an early age he began working on cars alongside his father and older brothers.
At age 17, he enrolled in an auto repair school in Romania for two years, where he was trained in both automotive and mechanical repairs. He worked as a truck driver until the age of 20, before joining the military, where he served 18 months. At age 22, Dave defected from Romania, escaping the harsh times of the communist regime of Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, landing himself in Austria at a refugee camp.
Though times were tough, being without his family and friends, he never lost hope, never lost faith. He learned from an early age that hard work and honesty gets you a long way. The US Embassy in Vienna granted him political asylum, and at age 23 he moved to Portland, Oregon. Once he became a bit established, with his feet on the ground, he began buying and fixing up cars.
The first car he fixed was a 1975, 914 Porsche, which he describes with a huge smile across his face. In 1985, he sponsored his older brothers who had defected from Romania, to move to Portland. A year later they built their first shop, which was open for about ten years. His next move was to Southern Oregon, where he has been since.
He opened his Medford location in 1995, and the Ashland shop in 2000. Throughout the years he has stayed up to date with his certifications and training. He is currently ICAR certified in collision repair, electronics, steering and suspension, color matching, and finish matching. He has since closed his Medford shop, and is in the process of expanding his Ashland location.
When Dave is not hard at work, which is an occasion that is few and far between, he enjoys hiking, fishing, dancing, spending time with his four beautiful grandchildren, his three children, and visiting his beautiful home (vacation rental*) in Costa Rica.
* If you are interested in learning more about Dave's vacation rental in Costa Rica (between Dominical and Manuel Antonio) call Anderson Auto Body and ask for Dave!!
