Sunliner.com ** Company Information ** Store Hours ** Directions

Thank you for visiting Sunliner.com!

The "Sunliner" name comes from US Navy Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-81, the Sunliners. As a proud member of the Sunliners I flew the F/A-18 Hornet in combat during Desert Storm off of the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga. I learned the importance of dedication to the mission, focus on the task at hand, and a desire to get the job done right. Now as a business owner I have made efforts to bring these qualities into my automotive store, and I am very proud to use the Sunliner name. I hope you'll let us show you the customer service and professionalism of Sunliner Automotive..... or if nothing else, stop by and let's talk flying!

Business Philosophy

Along with competitive prices, and good locations, our level of customer service is what determines our success. I'm not in the automotive business, I'm in the customer service business. I make efforts to use the values I learned from my parents and from being a Navy fighter pilot as my guide... relentless attention to detail, focus on the task at hand, flexibility, common sense, the pleasure of a job well done, and quiet professionalism. These are the qualities that will keep our customers satisfied and loyal, coming back, and also recommending Sunliner to their friends. I'm well aware that my business depends on it.

The automotive industry has some specific peculiarities which make excellent customer service even more important. The number one consumer complaint in the United States is home repair, followed closely by automotive repair. Also if you are a home owner your car is probably your second largest investment and if you are a renter then your car is probably your number one investment. Today's automobiles are so complicated that it is becoming almost impossible for the weekend mechanic to understand and make appropriate repairs. Automotive repair has also historically been a male chore, yet now at least half of all drivers are women. Many women have horror stories about walking into the repair shop and being treated badly. Well, at Sunliner my absolute number one priority is taking care of the customer. We realize that simply walking into the shop can be a nervous experience, and we do our best to put you at ease. For instance, I don't allow my lube technicians and mechanics to congregate at the entrance, even when off the clock. It can be intimidating for a girl to get out of her car and approach a group of hardworking, semi-greasy, bulging bicep-ed "Bubbas". We try to treat every customer the way we would want our moms to be treated.

We also follow proper standardized trouble shooting procedures when diagnosing problems. Auto repair can be very expensive, and following proper procedures saves the customer time and money. We diagnose and then repair, not simply replace parts and see what happens.

 

Lieutenant Barry "Skull" Hull
Operation Desert Shield
Deck of USS Saratoga
Transiting Suez Canal
1990
In preparation for Desert Storm

History

US Navy Commander Barry Hull, son of Dr. and Mrs. D.C. Hull, was born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He graduated from Spartanburg High School and then Clemson University with a B.S. in civil engineering in 1981, and a M.S. in civil engineering in 1984. In October 1984 Hull enrolled in the US Navy's Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida. Hull graduated as a Distinguished Naval Graduate and was commissioned an Ensign in the Regular Navy in 1985. Immediately following AOCS Hull entered Naval Flight School. He received his Wings of Gold in the fighter jet community one and half years later. Hull's first assignment was an A-4 instructor in Meridian, Mississippi, and taught basic air combat maneuvering. Following that Hull was given orders to the Replacement Air Group in Jacksonville, Florida to fly the F/A-18 Hornet, and after initial training was assigned to the VFA-81 Sunliners onboard the USS Saratoga where he further honed his skills as a fighter pilot. Three days following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Hull and the Sunliners sailed for the Middle East, and spent the next eight months in the Red Sea during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Hull flew on the first strike of Desert Storm, January 17, 1991 and launched HARM missiles into Baghdad. During that first strike one of Hull's squadron mates, LCDR Scott Speicher was shot down by a MIG-25 and initially presumed dead. Speicher's status has now been changed from KIA to MIA, then POW, until his remains were identified in 2009. Speicher had, at that point, been promoted to Navy Captain. One F/A-18 Hornet, two A-6 Intruders, and one F-14 Tomcat from the USS Saratoga were shot down during Desert Storm. Hull flew over 100 hours of combat and received Air Medals with Valor and Navy Commendations with Valor for specific missions flown, along with various unit commendations, and has over 200 traps aboard the Saratoga. In 1992 Hull resigned his commission in the Regular Navy and accepted a commission in the Naval Reserves, and drilled at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Atlanta, Georgia, until October, 2001. He is now the Commanding Officer of Carrier Augment Unit, CVNE 0695, in Columbus, Ohio. In 1992 Hull was hired by American Airlines, although two years later he was furloughed. During his furlough Hull opened two Texaco Xpress lubes, a Michelin Tire dealership, an automotive repair shop (Sunliner Automotive, named after his former Navy fighter squadron), convenience store, and car wash. He has also returned to full time flight status with American Airlines and flies the MD-80 based in Dallas, Texas. He is married to Beth Murphy from Raleigh, North Carolina.



Store Hours

Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Directions

2150 East Main Street, Duncan SC 29334

Exit 63 off I-85, 3 miles East on 290 from the exit

Exit 28 off I-26, take 221 to 290 west

Near the intersection of 290 and Reidville Road, across from Publix

 

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