Supreme Auto Body Stays in the Family for 80 Years

The opportunity to own and operate a business that’s been in your family for 80 years doesn’t happen often. So when it looked like Supreme Auto Body of South Whitehall Township was going to have to close it doors, sisters Diane Holzman and Tina Mellenberg decided they would step up and keep it going.

They purchased the business from their brother, Michael Fonzone Jr., who had run it since their father, Michael Fonzone Sr., passed away in 1987. The shop was founded in 1932 by their uncle, Joseph Fonzone.

When Holzman and Mellenberg bought the company, it had been closed for a couple months and the employees, many of whom had worked their entire careers at Supreme, had been let go.

The sisters, who quit their careers in other fields in order to reopen the shop, were able to rehire all 12 employees.

“We didn’t think it was time yet for Supreme to stay closed,” Holzman said.

So Holzman now heads up operations for the company and Mellenberg concentrates on bookkeeping and sales.

The auto body industry has changed a lot from when their father and brother ran it, but the sisters say relationships between insurance companies and repeat customers are still key. They have been working hard to re-establish their foothold in the market because many clients went elsewhere when the shop was briefly closed.

“This business has changed rapid fire within the last five years,” Mellenberg said. “The capacity and insurance companies are very competitive.”

Once the largest shops on the East Coast, Supreme Auto Body still has its stellar reputation and talented staff. And for many locals it will forever be home of the “Fender Dent-ist” – an advertising campaign with a logo that is now trademarked.

It is a full-service shop with a 15,000-square-foot shop filled with state-of-the art equipment. Supreme offers collision repair, refinishing, painting, 24-hour towing (it’s free from the scene of an accident) and even some maintenance services, like oil changes and brakes.

They are also the preferred vendor for many local entities like South Whitehall Township, the Diocese of Allentown and Service Electric.

“It’s the people that make the difference,” Mellenberg said. “All shops have the same equipment but we take pride in what we do and our staff has basically no turnover.”

The shop has been in the same spot since 1932 -- at 2011 Walbert Ave. Check out its website for more information.