Our techs
ASE Master Certified — every tech
8 ASE Master Certified techs, average tenure 9 years. We hire experienced + train continuously. Every tech is a salaried employee (not commissioned) — incentives align with you, not against you.
8
ASE Master Certified techs
9 yrs
Average tech tenure
320+
Combined years experience
L1
ASE Advanced Engine Performance
Senior techs
The team
Mike Bennett — Master Tech, 22 years (lead)
ASE Master Certified + L1 (Advanced Engine Performance) + Hybrid Specialist. 22 years total experience, 18 at Ridgepoint. Mike co-founded the shop with his brother Tim in 2009. Specialty: complex diagnostics + hybrid systems.
Tim Bennett — Master Tech, 24 years (co-owner)
ASE Master Certified + L1 + L2 (Auto Maintenance + Light Repair). 24 years experience, 18 at Ridgepoint. Mike’s brother + co-owner. Specialty: brake + suspension systems, transmission service.
Carlos Ramirez — Master Tech, 16 years
ASE Master + L1 + Honda + Toyota factory training. 16 years experience, 11 at Ridgepoint. Specialty: Asian vehicle service + diagnostics. Bilingual (English + Spanish).
Aisha Patel — Master Tech, 12 years
ASE Master + L1 + European certification (Bosch + ZF). 12 years, 7 at Ridgepoint. Specialty: European vehicle service. One of few female ASE Master techs in Phoenix metro — we’re proud of the diversity she represents.
David Chen — Master Tech, 14 years
ASE Master + L1 + Diesel Specialist. 14 years, 9 at Ridgepoint. Specialty: light + medium diesel + Ford Powerstroke + GM Duramax. Pickup truck owner’s favorite tech.
Janelle Park — Master Tech, 8 years
ASE Master + Hybrid Specialist + Toyota factory training. 8 years, 5 at Ridgepoint. Specialty: hybrid + emerging EV systems + Toyota family. Industry-recognized hybrid expertise growing in Phoenix.
More of our team
Junior + supporting techs
Marcus Torres — Tech (ASE-certified), 4 years
ASE A1-A8 certifications complete; working toward Master. 4 years experience, 2.5 at Ridgepoint. Specialty: routine maintenance + brake service. Growing into specialty work.
Priya Sharma — Tech (ASE-certified), 3 years
ASE A1-A4 + A6 certifications. 3 years experience, 1.5 at Ridgepoint. Specialty: routine maintenance + electrical diagnostics. Strong EV interest; industry growth direction.
Roberto Martinez — Service Writer, 11 years
Front-of-house + customer communication. Salaried + customer-satisfaction bonus (NOT commission). 11 years auto service experience. Bilingual.
Sarah Kim — Service Writer, 6 years
Front-of-house + customer communication. Salaried + customer-satisfaction bonus. 6 years experience, 4 at Ridgepoint. Manages dropbox + after-hours communication.
Lin Park — Parts Manager, 5 years
Parts catalog, ordering, supplier relationships. Coordinates with techs to ensure parts available before appointment time. Prevents repair delays.
Mike Jr. + Anna Bennett (next generation)
Mike’s teenage children spent summers in the shop learning. Mike Jr. (16) is starting NATEF apprentice program at Mesa Community College. Continuity matters in a family business.
Certifications
ASE + manufacturer training
ASE Master Certification
Automotive Service Excellence. Master Certification = passed ALL 8 ASE exams (A1-A8). 8 of our 8 senior techs are Master Certified. Industry gold standard for vehicle service.
ASE L1 — Advanced Engine Performance
Specialty exam beyond Master Certification. Required for diagnostic work. 6 of our 8 senior techs hold L1. The diagnostic experts at our shop.
ASE L2 + L3 — Specialty
L2 = Auto Maintenance + Light Repair. L3 = Light Duty Hybrid/Electric Vehicle. We have 2 L2 + 2 L3 certified techs. Growing hybrid + EV capability.
ASE Blue Seal of Excellence shop
Shop certification (different from individual). 75%+ of our front-line technicians are ASE-certified. Phoenix metro shop list — only ~30 of ~800 shops in metro qualify.
Manufacturer factory training
Honda + Toyota + Ford + GM + Bosch + ZF factory training represented across our team. Not all techs trained on all brands — specialty distribution.
Continuing education
$2,500/year CE budget per certified tech. Annual ASE renewal + new cert pursuit. Industry conferences (Mesa Tech Forum, Phoenix Auto Tech Conference). Knowledge stays current.
What we believe about hiring
The Ridgepoint difference
Salaried, not commissioned
Service writers + techs are salaried + bonus on customer satisfaction (NOT margin or upsells). Industry-unusual; intentional. The financial incentive is to serve you well, not to sell you what you don’t need.
Hire experienced, train continuously
Most techs join with 5+ years prior experience. We pay for ongoing training + ASE renewals. Apprentices welcome but they don’t work on customer vehicles unsupervised.
Long tenure
Average tenure 9 years. 2 of 8 senior techs have been here 10+ years. Customers see the same techs for years — they know your vehicle’s history. Continuity matters in repair.
Diversity + equality
2 women among our senior techs. 4 people of color. Phoenix-Mesa is diverse; we hire diverse + treat people fairly. We’ve been called out by industry observers for our gender + race diversity (rare in auto repair).
Veteran-friendly
3 of 8 senior techs are military veterans. Specific outreach to Phoenix-area veterans for hiring. Mike Bennett served in the Marines; he prioritizes veteran recruitment.
We pay competitively
$32-$48/hour DOE for ASE Master techs. $24-$32/hour for ASE-certified non-Master. $18-$22/hour for apprentices. Higher than Phoenix-metro shop average; competitive with dealer pay. Full benefits + 401k match.
Tech questions
What customers ask
- Most often, yes. We assign techs to customer vehicles based on prior service + tech specialty + availability. Most regular customers see the same 2-3 techs over time. They know your vehicle’s history.