Meet the Team

Andy first fell in love with automobiles at the age of 19 after buying his first car, a well-used British Roadster. Even if it only ran half of the time, he claims it was the scent of gas, oil, wood, and leather that gave him no choice but to keep coming back for more. Even as he pursued a career as a financial trader, he had the nudging feeling that he would someday return to his automotive lane.

After buying his first Porsche, a 1988 911 turbo, he became a client of Midwest Performance Cars and went on to admire the reputation for excellent work that MPC possessed. In 2014, he had the unique opportunity to take ownership of the garage himself- it was fate and it allowed him to explore his love of autos after a successful 20+ year career at the Chicago Board of Trade. Seven years later and some turbo power to the new MPC under Andy’s supervision, there are now 2 locations with the same loyal clientele and two bigger and better teams.
Andy is highly invested in the professional development of his crew and strives to help them be the best-trained in the industry. When he’s not at the office, Andy loves snowboarding, traveling, and spending time with his kids, his wife, and their 2

French bulldogs, George & Gus, that he claims are like having “real-life cartoon characters living in his home”. He is a longtime supporter of several Chicago giving back programs and serves as a director of Checkeditout Chicago, a 501(3)b non-profit that organizes an annual Porsche event to raise money for a different worthy cause every year.
Andy strives for MPC to maintain an open book policy in all operations. He also holds a soft spot for helping people renew or max out the enjoyment of owning a vehicle, whether it is finding the perfect car, or assessing the condition of the car they already own.

“Very few cars, like the Porsche 911, can be 50+ years running with the same model, still evolving, always improving, a true objet d’art”

Chris joined our team in 2015, after being well-seasoned in the dealership world for over 7 years. He specifically found himself drawn to German marques and identified MPC as the industry leading garage when it comes to European service. Four years into his role, and with coaching from business owner Andy himself, he’s now managing the Chicago location. When Chris is not overseeing our day to day, you can find him putting on his dad cap and spending time with his newborn. Another common place to find him is behind his camera lens, Chris likes to take the time to capture the talented staff doing what they do best.

It doesn’t matter how someone is when they’re winning, it’s how they are when they’re losing that matters.

From hot wheels and die cast models, to car racing movies, Ryan developed a love for cars from as far back as he can remember. Always fascinated by taking things apart and putting them back together, Ryan found himself most indulged in the intricate mechanisms of high end, luxury cars. This piqued his curiosity and led him to a job working at garage shop where he could really see what goes on beneath the hood. Ryan joined the MPC team in 2017 as our Northbrook service manager after he found himself seeking a higher caliber of cars and professional work environment. He still holds as much wonder as ever and is known to really enjoy explaining as much of the repairs, maintenance and work that is needed on our client’s vehicles to our team until sometimes, they simply can’t take it anymore! Needless to say, he believes in over-communicating, and believes the more informed clients and our team are, the better. When reviewing a repair with Ryan, expect full transparency of your service, from start to finish.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going!

Brandon started at MPC as a shop porter, who has now grown into a co-owner of the business with being a technician in between! Like most, he developed a deep love for cars around 4-5 years old, however, This ran a bit deeper as he became more and more inquisitive and began the hobby of taking things apart and putting them back together. Legos had nothing on him! He began to get his hands dirty in the industry at a young age in high school, working with small engines, then motorcycles and leading up to the best of the best at MPC. After an apprenticeship under our in-house Master Technician, followed by extensive training from noted Porsche racing and performance sources, Brandon is now our water-cooled Porsche Master Technician. He travels annually to train with Tony Callas of Callas Rennsport. Needless to say, Brandon enthusiasm of taking things apart and putting them back together has only scaled higher since joining our team. He holds a strong belief for fixing everything right the first time – He lives this daily at MPC.

“Good work ain’t cheap, cheap work ain’t good”

Aimee joined our team in 2019 with her ever-evolving love for cars and her beginnings of holding a job as a receptionist for Volvo in high school. She was attracted to the team at MPC and the challenge of working with a clientele that are generally very knowledgeable about their vehicles which keeps her on her toes. She loves a good challenge and stays on top of the latest car models, tips and tricks of our life in this fast lane industry. When not at the office, you can find Aimee spending time with her miniature pinscher Grizzlee, listening to classical music or tuning into a new series of forensics/crime solving shows. She really treasures traveling solo and searching for unique hidden gems, especially when it comes to spicy food! She avoids the mundane routines in life and enjoys her role at MPC, where in her view, no day or car is the same.

Big Sur, a convertible & Queen… enough said.

Scott’s obsession with cars was adapted from observing how his father was able to rotate between cars almost every month as an immigrant with little money. Learning how to work on cars came out of necessity, and the push to rotate grew out of love & desire to drive some of our (realistic) dream cars. Scott’s served both in dealership and independent shops & brings a fun vibe to foil the seriousness of the industry.

Jose got his start working at a car wash. It wasn’t long until his interest was piqued in the car industry, and the carwash wasn’t quite hands on enough. He began taking autobody classes and carried on pursuing a career in the industry. Jose was drawn to join the MPC team in 2017 after discovering their scope and scale of imported cars. When he’s not in the garage he loves to spend time with his 2 little rascals Mily and Mylo.

Latch the hood hinge by hand so the car battery doesn’t die.

Ruben joined MPC in August of 2021 with a strong background in all things BMW. Like most of our technicians his love of the automobile grabbed a hold of him in his early teens from wrenching on cars like the Nissan Altima and Toyota Corolla. So what is his favorite car to work on… The 2003 BMW E46 M3, a favorite of BMW enthusiasts for as long as it’s been in the market. When asked what his dream car is, Ruben quickly replied “The F90 BMW M5 and I would blast Foo Fighters – “The Pretender” while cruising around!” If you have a BMW, Ruben is your guy.

Like many technicians, he started out tinkering with American Muscle cars in high school and, luckily, he had a very wise instructor who pointed out his proficiency for all things car related. That encouragement set Lalo on his path of deeper study and training. He spent 9 years working in Lafayette, Indiana while building upon his skills, learning from some of the best diagnostic techs at trainings in New York & Las Vegas. His relocation to Chicago was based upon his decision to join the MPC family. “As soon as I met with the MPC crew and had feel for the environment, the type of people they were, and what kind of customer service they provided, it was pretty much a done deal.” With his “can-do” attitude and “no regrets” belief, we know he is a great addition to MPC.

Dream Car: 1994 Toyota Supra TT with a 6-speed manual. Burgundy or white, with some CCW classic wheels, TRD front lip and rear spoiler. Big single turbo swap.

Will has been working in the industry since 2017. His love for autos comes from time spent watching Indycar at the Chicagoland speedway with his Dad and Grandfather. He studied at UTI for his automotive training while working for a racing team at Autobahn Country Club. Will has also worked with a drag racing team in West Chicago, and Autohaus on Edens Mercedes. His current hobbies are running, cycling, fishing, maintaining his family’s fleet of cars, and spending time with his friends and family.

Future Goals: Enjoying music by Milky Chance while driving!

Brian’s passion for cars began at an early age when he and his father would attend classic auto shows. He became a fan of European cars over the years, but grew an obsession with Porsche after he drove a 997 Turbo for the first time. Brian joined the MPC team after deciding to leave his corporate career behind and follow his passion. He was drawn to MPC because of its reputation and professional work environment where he could blend his love of cars and customer-facing roles. When not at the office, he loves to travel, try new recipes, and spend time outdoors.

Lindsey joined the MPC Family in January of 2023 knowing virtually nothing about cars. Motivated by her incessant need to challenge herself, she was drawn to MPC as a company because of its values and reputation for providing exceptional customer experience. After almost a year of working for MPC and riding along on a few formative test drives, she now “gets it.” She’s armed with an endless supply of metaphors that allow her to be a liaison between the shop, and individuals who have a more rudimentary understanding of automobiles.

When she’s not at the office, you can find Lindsey hunting for the best Ramen in the city, painting, or spending time with her Pomsky/ American Eskimo dog Skadi whom she describes as equal parts cute and chaos.

Todd’s love for cars started with a 1991 Fox Body Mustang with a manual transmission, but he had no love for the regular breakdowns. Swapping it for a reliable Honda Civic, Todd took the car apart and put it back together many times in his dad’s garage. Seeing the writing on the wall, dad got Todd a job at a local service station and, “That was it for me,” says Todd. “I was hooked, and felt like they were paying me to do what I love. Someone once told me: ‘Love what you do: and you’ll never work a day in your life.’ Here I am 22 years later at the pinnacle of my career with Midwest Performance Cars. #BLESSED.” Todd wasn’t actually looking for a job when MPC approached him. “I gave them a listen, and after meeting the staff, touring the workshop, and understanding the business model, it was a no brainer. MPC is my new home!” A Porsche Tech through and through, Todd’s favorite model to work on is any 911. “Next level — a race car modified for the street.” Unsurprisingly, Porsche gets the nod for dream car: a 991 GT2 RS “with heavy modification by yours truly.” But his work is top spec no matter which auto rolls in. “I will work on your Prius with the same care as your Carrera GT. I take a tremendous amount of pride in my work; and I hope it shows!”

‘Love what you do: and you’ll never work a day in your life.’

First inspired by the Redbull driver Mike Whiddet, Sam tried his hands at being a technician. He has now been in the industry for over 9 years. He lives by the words “work to live not live to work”. When not in the office, you may find him motorcycle stunt riding or snowboarding. Some may call that thrilling activity, to Sam, it’s leisure. Not only is he quick on his feet but also with his actions. He is great at solving even the most complex repair that enters our garage. There hasn’t been one to slow him down yet and we work on a lot of fast cars! In summary, Sam knows how to leave a job in the dust, and by that we mean, flawless repair service when it returns back to the pavement from MPC Northbrook’s shop floor. He prides himself in being well equipped and having an in depth knowledge of how every system on a vehicle operates.

Blake has always loved cars and motorcycles – he’s been a true petrol junkie from early on! He really got into working on them in 2016 when one of his buddies bought an E36 BMW roller. Watching, helping and absorbing all he could, it opened up a whole new world and career path. Blake joined us in 2022 and he exemplifies what it means to be a true team player. When he’s not working on his car, Blake loves to play video games and ride motorcycles.

On the weekend you will find Blake grilling food and watching Supercross.

Taylor and her father share a passion for motorsports — they’d often watch racing together — but just how much passion became clear when she was given her first car. As soon as she got on the road, she couldn’t leave the machine be. She started researching, poking around, and putting her own touch to it. The car grew with her as her love for cars grew. Taylor started working at dealerships to prep herself for the performance world where she could satisfy her desire to be around the best machines. That’s why she’s now at MPC where she can submerge herself in the performance side of the automotive world. Her dream car would be one of Singer’s Porsche 911 DLS Turbo creations. “The only music I need to hear is coming from that exhaust. I don’t even mind where I’m going.”

“Every model can be that outlet for someone — to put your own touch to.”

Talk about fate! Drake spent his High School years driving past our old Lake Street location so he had always known about MPC. Fast forward several years to 2021 and now he is part of our team. Unlike most of our technicians who were bit by the auto bug early on, Drake was interested in computers more than anything else – how they worked, what parts fit together, and why. He was in college for electrical engineering and realized that he wasn’t going to get anywhere doing something he wasn’t enjoying so he left school and enrolled in a trade school for auto technicians. Guess what, he discovered he loved working on cars! He is passionate about the 993s we see in the shop, and the more recent GT3. “There’s no better feeling than running through the gears of a 991.2 GT3. It’s as close to automotive perfection as it gets!”

Drake participates in beach cleanups around the city of Chicago and supports no-kill animal shelters.

Paul’s passion for cars was kindled at a young age after attending auto shows around Chicago. This only continued to grow, leaving him searching for a role in the industry. He knew there was only one way to see this caliber of cars on an everyday basis, and thus Paul joined our team in 2019 as service advisor. Paul holds a keen eye of real quality and craftsmanship and is meticulous with every inspection he performs and seeing through every detail of a client’s repair. When Paul isn’t in our office, he likes to grab a cup o joe and head to a car show. Like Chris, he loves the art of automotive photography and has a growing portfolio. Although he finds himself partial to any and all Italian culinary dishes, his love runs even deeper for various types of European cars.

“Sometimes in life you just have to floor it

As Administrative Manager for all three locations. Barb is responsible for the day-to-day management of human resources, payroll, and bookkeeping functions for Midwest Performance Cars. She keeps MPC facilities compliant with safety, emergency, inspection, and all regulatory procedures, as well as staying informed and up to date with government policies and basic employment law as they relate to MPC.
When not at work, Barb finds contentment anywhere with her twin daughters; in a bookstore or thrift shop, at home with a book, or having coffee with her sister or friends.

Long term goal: visit Labrador, Nunavut, or as far north in Canada as possible.