Focus on local businesses – A Middleburg man opens a diesel repair shop in his hometown

Mid-Valley Diesel in Middleburgh. Photos by Chris English.

Owner Josh Hoerz at his Mid-Valley Diesel shop in Middleburgh.

By Chris English

MIDDLEBURGH _ A lifelong Middleburgh resident and 2012 graduate of Middleburgh Central School recently took the big step of putting down even deeper roots in his hometown.

Josh Hoerz opened Mid-Valley Diesel at 2663 State Route 145 on March 8 and has been busy repairing, servicing and replacing parts on a wide range of light- and heavy-duty vehicles with diesel engines ever since.

“I do a lot of smaller pickup trucks, but also larger trucks, tractors and other farm equipment, excavators, school buses, pretty much anything with a diesel engine,” he said.

Hoerz said he always loved “tinkering around” with cars and other vehicles. While at Middleburgh Central, he participated in a BOCES automotive program and then completed a nine-month diesel engine course at a WyoTech trade school in Blairsville, Pennsylvania.

He worked for ten years at D & W Diesel, Inc. in Latham, and while there he developed the idea of ​​starting his own diesel company in Middleburgh.

“I thought most people from here had to go to Albany to get work on diesel engines,” Hoerz explained. “When I was at D&WI, I worked on quite a few diesels from here, so I thought maybe I could do my own thing where I was from. I didn’t like driving to Latham every day. It was a long drive.”

Hoerz built his business from the ground up, purchasing a 30-acre cornfield on Route 145 about three years ago. He eventually had a large metal building constructed and opened for business about five months ago.

“I had been working in this field on the side and had already built up a customer base,” he noted.

Until now, it was practically a one-man operation. Hoerz’s only help in the business was his father, Steve, who sometimes came by to help his son with computer work related to the business. While Mid-Valley Diesel’s official hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Hoerz said he’s often there well after 5 p.m. on weekdays and many Saturdays as well to keep up with work.

However, the days when he did practically everything on his own could soon be over.

“I’ve been looking for help and I think I’m close to hiring someone,” Hoerz said.

His primary focus is on completing the day’s work and ensuring his customers’ satisfaction.

“Maybe at some point I’ll expand and open another location in a different area, but I’m pretty happy with what I’m doing now,” Hoerz said.

For more information about Mid-Valley Diesel, call 518-827-3363 or email [email protected].