Mt. Dora’s Historic Hobdy’s Garage: New Owners at the Wheel
FSBDC at UCF – Lake County Helps First-Time Entrepreneurs Secure Financing and Open the Doors
May 5, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or HThayer@ucf.edu
John Doramus, Consultant, FSBDC at UCF – Lake County, 352-404-7338 or John.Doramus@ucf.edu
Orlando, FL – Becoming a first‑time small business owner can feel overwhelming. Where do you begin? What does the right business plan look like, and how will you finance your new venture? Who do you call when you don’t have the answers? These were the questions on Krista and Joey Steall’s minds as they considered purchasing historic Hobdy’s Garage, a Mt. Dora landmark serving the community for more than 80 years. Fortunately, the Stealls turned to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) and its Lake County office—finding exactly the guidance they needed.
Founded in 1945, Hobdy’s Garage has remained a family‑run business through three ownership transitions: first the Hobdys, then the Velezes, and now the Stealls. Known for treating customers’ vehicles as if they were their own, the shop offers general automotive repair including A/C inspection, fluid exchange, advanced diagnostics, and full‑service repairs of all sizes. “What makes us different is we specialize in electrical and diagnostics—my husband is an ASE‑certified mechanic,” shares Krista Steall proudly. “We pride ourselves on honesty and transparency and try to make sure our customers know exactly what’s wrong with their car and how we can help fix it.”
As first‑time business owners, the Stealls knew they needed expert support. “We sought out the SBDC and their services to help us make sure that we were set up for success given that we’ve never owned a business before,” Krista explains. They began working with John Doramus, an FSBDC consultant in Lake County, as soon as they learned that the garage was for sale. “John was instrumental in helping us get our loan package together—making sure we had all the right documents, making sure that everything we sent to the bank looked good and was what was needed to move our loan forward.”
The process, however, was far from simple. “Our loan process was incredibly complicated,” Krista recalls. “It seemed like every time we turned around there was something new that came up. I just could not have done it by myself. I don’t know what I would have done without John and the SBDC.”
With Doramus and the FSBDC team by their side, the Stealls persevered. “The changes we have seen since working with the SBDC is everything about the business,” Krista affirms. “We were able to get our loan. We got our building, the equipment, and everything we needed to get set up and started. We have finally opened the doors, and it’s just been amazing since then.”
Reflecting on the journey, Krista doesn’t hesitate to describe the FSBDC’s impact. “If I had to use one word to describe my experience with the SBDC, I would say ‘invaluable.’ We wouldn’t have a business without them, and certainly not a successful one. For any entrepreneur who would like to have some assistance with any part of their business process, I definitely recommend working with the SBDC and using the resources that are available to you there.”
For information about Hobdy’d Garage, please visit https://www.hobdysgarage.com/.
About the FSBDC at UCF
Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of part of UCF’s Office of the President and the Florida SBDC Network.
The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.
In 2025, the FSBDC at UCF served 2,142 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 3,967 jobs impacted; $760.1 million in sales growth; $83.6 million in capital formation; $85.1 million in government contract awards; and 155 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com.
About the Florida SBDC Network
For 50 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.
In 2025, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 112,158 hours of consulting to 15,439 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $534.7 million in capital, $711.5 million in government contracting, impacting 18,334 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.4 billion, and creating 1,111 businesses.
With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, State of Florida and other private and public partners. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures.
The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.
FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com
