Interview by T.L. Rotkiewicz
Photo By Mike Taylor

Keith Formanek is the owner of Day Hill Automotive Inc. that was established in 1979. They are located at 701 Day Hill Rd. Keith is a Chamber of Commerce member.

Day Hill Automotive Inc. provides quality care in Windsor. They are a family owned business delivering honest and professional automotive repair and auto maintenance services to the people of Windsor and surrounding areas. The quality ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certified technicians at Day Hill Automotive Inc. employ today’s latest automotive technology and are equipped to handle all major and minor repairs on foreign and domestic vehicles. They deal with oil and oil filter services, cooling system, air conditioning, driveline, fuel/air induction cleanup, power steering flush, and transmission. They stay up to date with the latest equipment and technologies. The business is open on weekdays from 7-5PM.

Keith was born and raised in Windsor, attending elementary school and Sage Park Middle School in the ’80s. His family moved to Suffield where he attended Suffield High School, as there was an AD program. He went to Villanova University College of Engineering in Pennsylvania. From there on he says, “This was my passion. So, I’ve been doing this since I was six years old. I worked with my father in the garage and whatnot.” He got his first taste of the family business mowing lawns on the property. “When I was twelve or thirteen I was turning wrenches here. During the summer. Thursdays after school.”

Keith’s grandfather, Frank, father, Paul, and uncle, Stephen started the business in 1979. Frank had been General Manager of Combustion Engineering Controls before retiring in 1980. Both, Paul and Stephen had been tech teachers. Paul had taught at Suffield High School, while Stephen had taught at Fermi High School in Enfield. Frank bought a piece of property on Day Hill Road, and his sons built Day Hill Automotive. Stephen passed away in 2004, leaving his brother Paul to take over the business.

Keith took over as owner in June of 2015. Paul remains involved with the business in the capacity of shuttling customers to work, paperwork, and some servicing. Keith not only works the day-to-day operations, but also teaches tech classes and does training for both East Windsor and Wethersfield in person or on-line.

With little time to spare other than weekends due to his busy schedule, Keith has gone to the Shad Derby, Chili Challenge, and Bart’s car shows over the years. He lives in Suffield now, but his girlfriend has started to attend some of the Chamber events. In time though, Keith would like to sponsor a Little League team. He does love to go up to Otis Reservoir as much as he can for camping and boating for relaxation. Three words that describe Keith: honest, efficient, and thorough.