Jimmy Herlong The new hybrid automobiles are selling off the showroom floors and out of the dealers' lots, and soon enough there should be a revolution in automotive mechanics and maintenance to service the hybrids. Jimmy Herlong is positioned to readily ride the waves of change as part of a national franchise system, Midas Auto Service, formerly Midas Mufflers.

Herlong was born in Rock Hill, S.C., where his father based a sales operation in dyes and chemicals. His father's family comes from Edgefield, S.C., home to ten governors of South Carolina.

Herlong's mother mostly stayed home to look after him, his three sisters, and his older brother. She majored in music at Converse College in Spartanburg and her piano playing has stayed on a concert- class level.

Four years ago, Herlong's mother placed third among the amateurs in the Van Cliburn Competition in Ft. Worth, Tex. Last year, she qualified once again. She continues to live in Rock Hill.

Herlong was president of the student body at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill and also a varsity athlete. He played on the golf team, which was his scholarship sport at Presbyterian College. He graduated from PC with a business degree.

Directly out of college, Herlong went to work for Burroughs in Greenville, where he stayed for two years before moving to Columbia for another 26 years with Burroughs here. Burroughs was later absorbed by Unisys.

Herlong met his wife Meekin at the Carolina Cup in 1985. She was from Sumter, and her name came from her Columbia relatives, the McMeekins. When she met Herlong, she had another year at USC as a major in hotel, restaurant and tourism management.

The Herlongs have two children, both graduates of Heathwood Hall. Their son is a sophomore finance major at Wofford College in Spartanburg. Their daughter is an incoming freshman at Clemson, where she intends to major in business and marketing.

With both children in college in the Upstate as of this fall, trips north to Spartanburg and to Clemson might become more of the norm, but buying season tickets to Clemson football has always been part of the family recreation routine.

Also established as a family routine are trips to Litchfield Beach, where the Herlongs have had a house for the past 13 years.

Herlong's wife plans to take advantage of their empty nest by painting more canvases and expanding her real estate interests.

After 28 years in the computer business, Herlong is now fully immersed in the auto service business, having bought five Columbia- area Midas service centers this past January. He is opening a sixth Midas store on Two Notch Road near the Village at Sandhill.

Once chiefly known for mufflers and brakes, each Midas store is now a complete car care facility, to include Bridgestone tires. Herlong enjoys imagining the future of the business with hydrogen fuel- cell power on the horizon and electric and hybrid cars already on the road.

The next 20 years in automotive maintenance will not be like the last 20 years, and Herlong is looking forward.