It wouldn’t be unusual to spot Anibal ‘Hannibal’ Chavez at 6 a.m. most days with a broom and dustpan cleaning the perimeter at one of the auto shops he owns at Victory Road and Adams Street; it’s a morning ritual stretching back years and one consistent with the attention to the little things that he puts into his businesses in Pope’s Hill and Fields Corner.

For his tireless and honest dedication to helping neighbors with their auto repairs, he will be given the Business of the Year Award by Pope’s Hill Neighborhood Association (PHNA) during its meeting on Sept. 25 in the Murphy School.

“I always say small details make a big difference,” said Chavez, 65, during an interview at his shop last week. “I get my broom and dustpan every day and it takes ten minutes tops, but it makes a big difference to everyone because it’s clean and people see that. To me it’s so important because it means you take pride in your community and neighborhood.”

The PHNA’s Hank Wessmann said he got to know Chavez after he took over Ricciardi Auto Repair on Victory Road and has always been impressed with his commitment to going out of his way to help people.

“You can tell by his demeanor and how he talks with people – always saying that they are here to help people first,” said Wessmann. “I think he means that and it’s not just a sales pitch…We have nothing but positive things to say about him.”

But Chavez does more than keep a tidy shop and make friends with the neighbors; he and his veteran mechanics fix automobiles of all kinds – and, well, according to Wessmann: “They figured out things that Ford Motors couldn’t solve.”

Chavez said his philosophy is to be honest with people, and to treat them like family. He recalled one couple early on in his career who brought their car in for a new alternator, convinced that was the problem. However, after they left, Chavez found it was only a problem with the belt – a much less expensive fix.

“A lot of people will ask themselves if they should call and tell the customer they only need a belt, or if they should just sell them the alternator,” he said. “I called them and told them the truth, and that happened many times to me. I know the car I’m fixing is something the family needs to get kids to school, to get to work, to get to church, or to the supermarket. It’s a good feeling to help them out.”

Chavez arrived in Boston in 1980 from the Dominican Republic with the help of his sister, settling in Dorchester. For some time, he worked in Everett at the Teddie Peanut Butter factory, where his manager, noting his diligence, made him an operator of key machinery. He realized he needed some training, and got permission from his manager to work evenings so he could attend ITT Tech’s automotive repair program in Chelsea.

After graduating from ITT, he took a job at a mom-and-pop service station on Dorchester Avenue near St. Mark’s. Living on Geneva Avenue, he built up trust with the owners and the community while raising three kids in the neighborhood.

But his dream was to have his own operation, and using his connections in the community, he secured a repair bay at 326 Adams St. in 1990. “It was only one bay, no lift, nothing fancy, just on the floor with a jack stand,” he recalled. “That’s how I started on my own as a mechanic, helping people as best I could.”

Hannibal Chavez celebrated his upcoming award last week with his veteran staff of mechanics at the Adams Street location. Seth Daniel photos

Some years ago, he bought out Ricciardi Auto on Victory Road when the owner was ready to retire. More recently, he bought out Steinbach’s Auto at 321 Adams St. on the corner of Gibson Street –across the street from where he started with one bay.

Now, his kids are grown and live in Dorchester and are active in the community, and he has two active auto shops with great reputations. He said he loves the community and was happy to receive the award.

“I’ve always been in Dorchester. I’m a Dorchester boy,” he said with a laugh.