Ken Volland, who owns Ken’s Gas and Auto Repair in Ellensburg, WA, is closing the business at the end of September. He has owned the business for 28 years. During the shop’s heyday, Volland had four employees in addition to himself. Earlier this year, he had to lay off a technician who had worked at the shop for 27 years. The wear and tear of being a technician has taken its toll on Volland as he has back and joint pain in addition to having lost 20 percent of the use of his hands.
Below is the article as it appeared on the Daily Record website.
Ken’s to close at end of September
By MIKE JOHNSTON, senior writer
September 21, 2010
ELLENSBURG — Some in Ellensburg are calling it the end of an era.
When Ken Volland locks the doors to Ken’s Gas and Auto Repair on East University Way at around 6 p.m. Sept. 30, Volland believes it’s the end of the road for the last full-service gas station in Ellensburg.
And Sept. 30 also will be the last time he works 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the station, and the end of working seven days a week.
That’s right, seven days a week.
Yet he also says he’ll work right up to 6 p.m. on that last day.
Currently he’s selling much of what he has in the station, yet Volland, 64, last week at work said he’d take on repairs to someone’s car if they come in that last day and if he has any tools left.
His definition of full service? Put gas and oil in your car for you, check basic systems for you and always have a mechanic on duty when open.
Through the years, the station got a lot of weekend repair jobs from cross-state travelers breaking down at or near Ellensburg and even brought in by tow trucks from both ends of the county.
Local residents, too, have been grateful for his weekend mechanic hours.
To read the entire article, visit the Daily Record website at http://dailyrecordnews.com/news/article_af756d10-c5a2-11df-be2c-001cc4c03286.html.