Justin Hensley is trying to crack the stereotypes close to mechanics — assisting to get the persons of Emporia going down the road as cheaply as attainable.
Hensley is the new proprietor of Gene’s Quik Lube, positioned at 301 W 6th Ave. He acquired the automotive maintenance store from previous proprietor Steve Eckman in September of this calendar year. A few months into his new role, Hensley stated small business is heading perfectly.
“The parking good deal is usually a regular rotation of motor vehicles and additional individuals coming in every single working day,” Hensley explained.
The Emporia native has worked with autos his entire existence, first becoming released to the trade by his father.
“He’s been a mechanic above at the Ford dealership for longer than I have been alive,” Hensley reported. “My really first job was at John North Ford.”
Since then, Hensley has worked with automobiles in numerous other capacities, which includes at an additional neighborhood maintenance shop, Troy’s Tranys & Car Repair.
“Absolutely loved every little thing I did in excess of there,” Hensley explained. “So every time I resolved I was heading to appear again and do matters once again, I just figured it would be greater to do my individual matter as an alternative of functioning for someone else.”
So, immediately after some encouragement from the group, he attained out to Eckman.
“I had a bunch of men and women that I know that are excellent buyers of mine that preferred a new position to go and desired me to function on their stuff,” Hensley explained. “… I arrived and talked to Steve and then inside of a couple of months, we have been producing a deal.
“I usually drove by this place. I considered it would be a awesome minimal shop to have due to the fact of exactly where it’s at, and now listed here I am,” he included.
Hensley explained he’s gained most of his knowledge of the automotive fix trade expanding up operating on vehicles — with the assistance of excellent lecturers like his father and Troy at Troy’s Tranys.
“I’ve essentially been performing this off and on, right here and there, considering the fact that I was 16 many years previous,” Hensley reported. “ … You just type of decide on up a great deal and keep going with it.”
Now, he is on the lookout ahead to putting that awareness to use for the people of Emporia.
Quik Lube nonetheless delivers all of the identical products and services Emporians have occur to anticipate, like U-Haul rentals, carport income and just about all things automotive.
“The a person thing we don’t truly do is tires, alignments, stuff like that,” he said.
It also however has the exact dependable employees, such as Braxton Eckman, Steve Eckman’s son.
“This location is quite nicely-known for speedy, quick oil improvements,” Hensley stated. “I assume we are the only place in city executing oil modifications first-come, 1st-provide. No appointments, no almost nothing. You just cease in, get your oil improved and roll on down the highway.”
Hensley stated his philosophy for his have enterprise is the same as when he ran Troy’s.
“I constructed a quite very good popularity for myself on the actuality that I truly don’t test to choose advantage of men and women. You hear it all the time in the automotive globe and I’m quite well known for seeking to get treatment of people and get them down the road as inexpensive as probable. Not gouging folks or attempting to kill persons on selling prices,” he claimed. “I usually grew up wondering it would be amazing if I had my possess store for the reason that then I didn’t have to comply with any individual else’s rules and I could just do factors the way I want — and I treatment more about people than I do income.
“It just kind of will work,” he summarized. “I can aid individuals in a way that I’m good at and hopefully at the stop of the day, I make ample revenue to preserve likely.”
