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12 THE INTERLAKE SPECTATOR Monday* September 4, 1995J .*9Ashern garage owners seize business opportunityBY KAREN EMILSON_The name has changed, butit’s business as usual at theAshern Garage.Lloyd and Margaret Gutknecht are in the process of purchasing the downtown automotive repair garage from Jo-ann and Ryan Johnson. Formerly known as E J Auto Supply, the Gutknechts renamed it L M Auto Repair when they took over the business in April.“The opportunity was there so we took it,” said Lloyd Gutknecht. “So far things have been great.”After the lease-to-purchase agreement was signed, Gutknecht moved from the shop to the front office. A former E J employee, Gutknecht is familiar with both the work and customers.“It took us more than eight months to decide to do this,” he said. “We feel pretty good about taking on the business.”Besides themselves, theGutknechts have two-full time workers. Long-time employee Delwin “Chico” Kernested and Kevin Gutknecht are doing most repair work.“We kept Chico on because he’s a good employee,” said Gutknecht. “He’s a reliable worker and is particularly good at fixing snowmobiles.”The shop will continue to fix all types of cars, trucks, all-terrain vehicles and snow machines. Registered with Maremont Mufflers as a muffler shop, L M can do any type of exhaust work. The company has a pipe bender so it can do custom work inshop. It also has an ample supply of mufflers right in town.The Gutknechts recently purchased a scope for electronic diagnostic work.“We want customers to feel satisfied they got their money’s worth,” said Gutknecht. “We’ve got a fewnew customers already.”Future projects include painting and doing minor renovations to the interior and exterior of the building. The Gutknechts purchase many automotive parts from local merchants and want to keep a good working relationship with similar businesses in town.“You have to work together in a small community,” said Margaret Gutknecht. “It’s foolish to take away from each other when you can work together.”Margaret works as co-ordi-nator of the Living Independence for Elders program in Ashern. She is also L M’s bookkeeper. She says the experience at the garage is challenging and rewarding.“Being in business for yourself is very exciting,” she said. “I had many sleepless nights before we started, but since we’ve taken over that has disappeared.”A grand opening is being planned for sometime this month.Lloyd, and Margaret Gutknecht are enjoying running their own automotove repair business in Ashern. Their employees are Chico Kernested, left and Kevin Gutknechtmpte
Newspaper Details
Stonewall Interlake Spectator
Stonewall, Manitoba, CA
Mon, Sep 04, 1995
Page 6
Full Page
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CA 11 May 2020
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