OREGON Jerry Richardson and the business he owns, Advanced Collision Repair in Seaside, were honored at the Small Business Ombudsman/Small Business Environmental Assistance Program national conference in June in Louisville, Ky. Richardson’s business was one of three EPA Region 10 entities, and the only automotive business, that received the “Small Business Environmental Stewardship Award” at the event. Advanced was nominated by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for its “exemplary performance in pollution prevention leadership.” The shop, a longtime member of the Northwest Automotive Trades Association, recently converted to waterborne basecoats for its paint and has implemented other pollution prevention measures.
Jim Geiter, owner and operator of 212 Auto Repair in Clackamas, has retired and closed his business.
Craig Bassitt and his crew at Bassitt Auto Co. in Beaverton will host their fifth annual Cruise-in on Aug. 14 at the retro 1950s-designed repair facility. Dinner, beverages, prizes, snow cones, and popcorn are all provided. For information on displaying a classic or vintage car, call 503-645-8352.
A public hearing was held June 10 by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on a proposed permit for Agri-Plas Inc. in Brooks to build a facility that would allow the company to convert mixed plastic waste into a synthetic crude oil. The crude oil would then be shipped to an oil refinery for further processing into petroleum-based products. DEQ will most likely approve the permit as Agri-Plas has been recycling waste plastic on the site for about eight years with no pollution or environmental problems.
WASHINGTON
Since agreeing to a 25-year lease on Spokane County Raceway (also known as Spokane Motorsports Park) from the county, it’s reported that Austin Motorsports Management LLC has made substantial improvements to the facilities and racing schedule, including a new track surface for the 2009 season. The Austin group is headed by Bucky Austin, who operates repair centers in western Washington and has been heavily involved in the racing business for decades. The track is home to a variety of Northwest and national series drag, road, and oval-track racing venues. As part of the lease agreement, the Austin group will spend more than $2 million to improve facilities at the longtime raceway.
Snap-on Tools will partner with the Professional Automotive Training Center at Shoreline Community College (SCC) in Seattle to provide diagnostics training in the 26,000-square-foot expansion of the SCC’s Automotive Technology training program. “This is an opportunity to reinforce our involvement with the top automotive training school in the country,” said Frederick Brookhouse, business development manager for Snap-on Tools at an early June luncheon at SCC. “Technicians use our diagnostic tools, but a survey showed many don’t use all of the features.” The expansion to the training center is schedule for completion in January. Don Schultz, the director of the training center, said Snap-on has donated more than $1.2 million worth of tools over the years to the training center.
Merle Pfeifer, AAM, owner of Sparks Car Care in Federal Way, has been elected to the Mechanical Operations Committee of the national Automotive Service Association (ASA). Pfeifer has been active in ASA-Washington for many years and currently serves as chairman of its government affairs committee. He has also been actively involved in education and training efforts for many years.
The Automotive Management Institute (AMI) recently held its 16th graduation ceremony during the ASA national convention, with 75 graduates receiving their Automotive Accredited Manager (AAM) degrees. Five graduates from Washington included Carla Lovell, AAM, ASA-Washington staff; Rachael and Scott Tveten, both AAM, from Tveten’s Auto Clinic in Lakewood; Carolyn Wright, AAM, Preedy Bros. Tire in Spokane; and Wade Lawson, AAM, of Euro Car Service in Seattle. In addition, William Bray, AAM, of Roth & Miller CARSTAR Autobody in Portland also received his AAM degree.
A third-generation Oen family member has assumed ownership of Sandy’s Race Street Auto Parts in Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula. Sandy and Linda Oen sold the longtime auto parts store to their son Jay recently. His grandfather, Julian T. Oen, opened Oen Motor Co. in 1928 in Quilcene and operated it until 1958, then leased it to Chevron for 10 years. In 1968, Sandy and Linda Oen opened Sandy’s Chevron, Auto Parts and Towing in Quilcene (closing it in 2000) and opened Sandy’s Sequim Valley Auto Parts in Sequim in 1985, which they sold in 2002. The couple purchased Sandy’s Race Street Auto Parts in 1988 and operated it for more than 20 years prior to the sale to their son. Jay Oen has worked at all three parts operation since high school and returned from college in 1985 to manage the Sequim store. The Port Angeles store business name has been changed to Jay Oen Motor Co. dba Race Street Auto Parts and is now the local NAPA Auto Parts store.
In May, the board of directors of LeMay-America’s Car Museum approved the museum’s financing plan and elected to move forward with a fall groundbreaking for construction of the Tacoma facility. The board made the decision based on the museum’s funding plan that includes gifts and pledges in the $58 million campaign; a $3.4 million load from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 108 Program; and the anticipated granting of $4 million in New Market Tax Credits. The museum will be a state-of-the art gathering place to celebrate America’s love affair with automobiles and will ultimately house 1,000 diverse vehicles of the current 2,000 cars, trucks, and specialty vehicles in the LeMay collection. On Aug. 29, the annual LeMay Car Show & Auction, sponsored by AAA, will be at the Marymount Academy in Tacoma. For details on the show and the museum, visit www.leymaymuseum.org for details.
Journey across America to commemorate one made 100 years ago. Emily Anderson had put 600 miles on the 1909 Maxwell DA, built by her father and his fellow antique auto enthusiasts, at press time. Emily hails from Seattle and her father from Whidbey Island. The purpose of the journey is to commemorate the journey of Alice Ramsey; the first woman to drive across America, 100 years ago this month, in an identical car. So far, there has been only one mechanical malfunction: an oil delivery problem that turned out to be a leak from a brass line that connects the oil pump to the engine. Emily left 130 Broadway, the very address Alice left from, on June 9th. Other stops so far have included the Pierce Arrow Museum in Buffalo N.Y. and Niagara Falls. Emily, who is being followed by a crew that includes her dad, her baby (born in February) and a mechanic with an RV filled with tools and spares anticipated stops in Cheyenne Wyo. on June 25, Salt Lake City Utah on June 28, and Reno Nev. on July 4. The final stop will be at the St. James Hotel in San Francisco on July 9 – where Alice herself ended up. Continual updates can be viewed via blog by Emily at www.aliceramsey.org.
Photo caption:
Emily Anderson is making an historic journey in this 1909 Maxwell DA, built by her father and his fellow antique auto enthusiasts to commemorate the journey of Alice Ramsey. Photo by Terry Parkhurst.
