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Neosho Chamber of Commerce members gathered Tuesday afternoon to honor Pro-Lube Maintenance Center, LLC, Neosho Industry of the Month.
The business, owned by Dana and Chris Hawkins, started in 2001 with 7,200-square-feet and expanded in 2008 to its present 9,360-square-feet.
“We basically do everything automotive,” Hawkins told the group.
They stock tires, provide tire alignment, brake repair, state inspections, and repair transmissions and air conditioning systems. The only thing they don’t do is body work or paint.
His shop is committed to keeping up with technological advances within the automotive world, Hawkins says.
“All automotive needs we can handle here in house,” he said. “We have a solution for every automotive problem you might have.”
HISTORY
Hawkins started the business with his wife Dana in 2001. He had been in the carpet cleaning business, but the lube shop was the dream of his father, the late Lube ‘n’ Joe Hawkins, who worked at Griffith automotive for 25 years. Lube ‘n’” Joe passed away in 1994 and his son opened the shop seven years later.
“We had plans to do this together and then he got sick and I opened it on my own,” the younger Hawkins said.
His father encouraged him to get into welding instead of becoming a mechanic, but Chris Hawkins said he’s always had a mechanical side.
“In order to fix anything we have to understand how it works,” he said. “A good mechanic has to have the capacity to understand the theory of operation.”
STAFF
Hawkins said he is proud of his crew and their experience.
“In this business — because of evolving technology — we have to make investments and stay sharp on what’s going on,” he said. “Or you have to stop, basically.”
With more than 8,600 different models of cars out there, Hawkins believes in training. Each technician gets 12-15 hours of training per year, something that is necessary to stay ahead of changes.
Eight year Pro-Lube veteran Wade Mitchell is an ASE Master Technician. Travis Stephens has worked for Pro-Lube since 2002, putting in nine years at the business. Ken Arehart has eight years at the shop, Daniel Moser has put in five years total working there and Ben Nelson, a student at Crowder College, started in the fall.
Over the years cars have added new, computerized features and Pro-Lube strives to keep their diagnostic capabilities current.
“Manufacturers have always catered to the buyer/user/consumer,” Hawkins said, “not the repair guy.
“There’s a lot of information that we’ve got to be able to have to fix them all.”
Neosho Chamber of Commerce members gathered Tuesday afternoon to honor Pro-Lube Maintenance Center, LLC, Neosho Industry of the Month.
The business, owned by Dana and Chris Hawkins, started in 2001 with 7,200-square-feet and expanded in 2008 to its present 9,360-square-feet.
“We basically do everything automotive,” Hawkins told the group.
They stock tires, provide tire alignment, brake repair, state inspections, and repair transmissions and air conditioning systems. The only thing they don’t do is body work or paint.
His shop is committed to keeping up with technological advances within the automotive world, Hawkins says.
“All automotive needs we can handle here in house,” he said. “We have a solution for every automotive problem you might have.”
HISTORY
Hawkins started the business with his wife Dana in 2001. He had been in the carpet cleaning business, but the lube shop was the dream of his father, the late Lube ‘n’ Joe Hawkins, who worked at Griffith automotive for 25 years. Lube ‘n’” Joe passed away in 1994 and his son opened the shop seven years later.
“We had plans to do this together and then he got sick and I opened it on my own,” the younger Hawkins said.
His father encouraged him to get into welding instead of becoming a mechanic, but Chris Hawkins said he’s always had a mechanical side.
“In order to fix anything we have to understand how it works,” he said. “A good mechanic has to have the capacity to understand the theory of operation.”
STAFF
Hawkins said he is proud of his crew and their experience.
“In this business — because of evolving technology — we have to make investments and stay sharp on what’s going on,” he said. “Or you have to stop, basically.”
With more than 8,600 different models of cars out there, Hawkins believes in training. Each technician gets 12-15 hours of training per year, something that is necessary to stay ahead of changes.
Eight year Pro-Lube veteran Wade Mitchell is an ASE Master Technician. Travis Stephens has worked for Pro-Lube since 2002, putting in nine years at the business. Ken Arehart has eight years at the shop, Daniel Moser has put in five years total working there and Ben Nelson, a student at Crowder College, started in the fall.
Over the years cars have added new, computerized features and Pro-Lube strives to keep their diagnostic capabilities current.
“Manufacturers have always catered to the buyer/user/consumer,” Hawkins said, “not the repair guy.
“There’s a lot of information that we’ve got to be able to have to fix them all.”
THE FIX
Business is not just about the car, it’s about the customer too.
At Pro-Lube their motto is “We care about you as much as your car.” The technicians focus on fixing cars and at the front desk they try to make people happy. When their car is broken many people feel vulnerable, Hawkins said.
“We take that feeling out of it,” he said. “We’re definitely a people-oriented business.”
He encourages technicians to recommend the fix they’d use if it were their car.
“You just treat people the way you want to be treated,” Hawkins said.
His warranty reflects that idea with extra-long local coverage.
“The industry standard is 12 months/12,000 miles,” he said. “We double that and have for the last five years.”
Friend and customer Mike Branstetter said business people like Hawkins are rare.
“No place else have I ever taken my car in and they said ‘drive it until you’re satisfied with the work,’” Branstetter said.
