Who We Are

Shade Tree Garage is different from most dealer service facilities. Our technicians are all accessible, so if you have questions or concerns you would like to discuss with the man who works on your car, you can speak with him directly. To learn more about each member of the Shade Tree Garage team, just click on their photo or name.

john_oconnorJohn O’Connor is the owner of Shade Tree Garage. John has been married to Wendy since 1973, has four wonderful children named Katie, Kristen, Daniel, & Kelly and five grandchildren. When he was younger, he loved to take cars apart. In 1975, he became an ASE-certified Master Technician. He has been a Bosch-approved service center since 1989, and is also a member of The Repair Excellence Council (2001). He participates in the Elite Group, which is a peer review process that helps automotive repair shops stay on the leading edge of business and industry issues. John is a member of the Morristown Chapter of Business Network International, the Morris County Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber's Business Development Committee. He is also a member of the Mechanic's Education Association as well as the BMW, Porsche and Volvo Car Clubs of New Jersey.
margeMarge McEntee has returned to Shade Tree Garage in October 2015, as the company’s Service Advisor. Marge has been a part of the Shade Tree family on and off since 1988. She will handle the daily estimating, parts ordering and contacting the customers with their vehicle estimate.  Marge has been married to Phil since 1986. Marge is suffering from empty nest syndrome since both her children are graduated from college and living on their own. Her daughter was recently married and is expecting her first grandchild!
mattMatt Bonder (General Manager) grew up in Whippany and currently lives in Morristown with his wife, Alexandra. His family moved into the area when he was two years old and his father took a position at Rutgers University in Newark. Matt has had a connection to Shade Tree Garage for over 30 years, having first met John’s son, Dan, in third grade at Salem Drive Elementary School in Whippany. From Matt’s youngest days he has always loved cars, trucks, and generally anything that was brightly-colored and could move fast. Since that time, Matt has bought, repaired, restored, and sold over 50 cars, mostly out of his own garage as a hobby. Joining Shade Tree Garage allows Matt to take his hobby interest and expand it to full-time employment so he can help others have the same joy he has when working on and driving an automobile. Prior to joining Shade Tree Garage, Matt worked as a Sales Advisor at MINI of Hawaii, working for the Shelley Eurocar Auto Group, home to four different dealerships in Hawaii. Matt’s other interests include playing chess, sipping and collecting whiskey, as well as collecting automatic watches and keeping an aquarium of tropical fish.
jimJim Ambrosi returned to Shade Tree Garage after a 15-year break. Jim grew up in a family business specializing in small engine repairs, and began working in the automotive industry in 1978. Jim came to Shade Tree in 1992, during which time he became a Bosch and ASE Master Technician. He worked here until 2000. Then, he and his wife relocated to San Diego, CA, for the weather. While there, Jim worked in an independent European repair shop. In 2015, they moved back to NJ. We are happy to welcome Jim back to the Shade Tree family. He has a wealth of knowledge concentrating heavily on BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Jim has always loved repairing anything mechanical, from lawn mowers to automobiles.
brianBrian Garcia (Auto Technician) started with us while he was still attending Morristown High School and the Morris County Vocational Tech Auto Body Collision program. Brian graduated in June of 2019, and joined Shade Tree Garage full time. He is a licensed NJ Motor Vehicle Inspector. He has 3 years’ experience with us. Brian loves to work on his own car on his off time. He enjoys football and snowboarding. And a fun little fact -- Brian also plays the guitar.
niallNiall Doherty (Auto Technician) joined Shade Tree Garage in September of 2021. He graduated from Mendham High School in 2021. Niall loved to take things apart and see how they work from a young age. He admits that when he was younger, they didn’t always go back together right. But, that has all changed and he is perfecting his craft each day. He is a wonderful addition to our staff. On the weekend, you might find Niall on a golf course in your area.
JulisaJulisa Umanzor is the newest member of Shade Tree Garage. She joined the team in September 2022, as a Service Consultant. She is a Morristown native and graduated Morristown High School in 2017. After graduating, she worked as a Sales Consultant for State Farm Insurance. Julisa has always loved cars, so when the employment opportunity presented itself, she jumped. She has been a very positive addition to the Shade Tree family. Julisa is attending the “Elite Master Program for Automotive Service Consultants.” The course consists of in-person training located in San Diego, and then there is continuous training remotely for 6 months. Included in her many beautiful qualities, is her attention to detail. Julisa is proficient in both English and Spanish. She also loves her cat and reading.

We’re always looking for motivated and friendly people to join the Shade Tree Garage team of professionals. If you believe you would be a great addition to our organization, please contact us.