Andre's Auto

NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021 6 ANDRE’S AUTO 40TH ANNIVERSARY Evan Dixon/Features Writer B USINESS OWNERAndreHylton is no stranger to struggle, and it is through his struggles that he has been able to not only find his calling in life, but help others do the same. Though his path was a hard one, he has managed to put together an impressive list of achievements that include founder and president of the Jamaica Motor Repairers’ Association, and a board mem- ber for the National Council of Technical andVocational Education and Training, the Jamaica German Automotive School, Trade Board, Consumer Affairs Commission, and Bureau of Standards Jamaica. However, he is not buoyed by his personal achievements, but rather how he can use his various plat- forms to make everyone around him better. He has remained hum- ble throughout the course of his life and never fails to remember exactly where he started. Hylton hails from the obscure Newport district in St Catherine, where he ran barefooted three miles on a stone road to get to school. Ironically, he ran to school every day without the convenience of running water to help him prepare for the three-mile-long journey. By the age of 16, he dropped out of school, opting to work in order to help his struggling family. He re- members having to spend his first cheque on a pair of jeans as he only had a pair of brown polyester pants to wear to work. In another ironic twist of fate, the boy who had given up on school developed an insatiable thirst for knowledge, noting that his early departure from formal education was the reason for it. “The fact that I did not complete my formal education, I understood that there was a lot more for me to learn. I travelled all across Jamaica studying and learning as much as I could in business andmanagement to upgrade my training. Growing up, I was always reassembling andmak- ing cars and skates using anything that my little brothers and sisters found. I fell in love with the auto- mobile and desired to make it into a lifelong career.” Although Hylton has accrued much success in his life, he is never shy about giving credit to those who have helped him on his jour- ney. He believes the contribution from those that believed in him has helped him become the leader he is today. “I knew I could not do it on my own and family and friends gave me the support and stood as the backbone to making my dream come true. Due to my own expe- riences of being helped by others, personal development is a way of life for me. I’ve taken that way of life and applied it to how I run my business and the way I treat my staff and the people I encounter,”he said. Hylton admits that he is a stickler for the rules and holds every em- ployee accountable for getting his or her work done. However, he says that when thework stops, the fun begins. ANDRE HYLTON The man in the driver ' s seat Andre Hylton