Larsons recognized by Chamber

The twin mechanics hard at work in the shop at CenDak Cooperative were recognized on Tuesday, Nov. 20 as the November Employees of the Month. New Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce President Amy Wobbema tipped off Manager Ron Keller, who led her to the shop and got the attention of Craig and Ty Larson. Each earned $25 in Chamber bucks and a signed certificate.

The two were surprised and grateful, but quickly returned to the job that was awaiting them- mounting and balancing tires for a customer's vehicle. In what looked like quite the involved process, they moved like clockwork and completed the job in a matter of minutes.

Seeing how the two work in tandem so seamlessly, it is easy to understand how they earned this distinction together. The duo has worked at CenDak for over five years, delivering a range of services from changing belts, gaskets and fluids to offering oil changes and in-house and on-site tire changes.

The first of the brothers to begin working at CenDak was Craig, about a year before his brother. When asked how he landed the job, he said it was pretty straight forward. "They needed somebody and gave me a call. They knew I had experience," he replied. In fact, he's been doing this kind of work since he was eight years old. When asked what he likes best about the work, he replied, "It's a challenge and it's fun to pinpoint what's wrong and fix it."

Craig wasn't the only one who had a good reputation of doing auto mechanic work. When staffing in the shop ran short, they called on Ty, who jumped at the opportunity.

"They do good work," chimed in co-worker John Schuster, "I let them work on my stuff, and I'm picky."

A few chuckles followed, and the opportunity presented itself to ask, "Do the two of you work on each other's vehicles?"

Their reply was saturated with the kind of taunting humor that emerges between brothers, but they both seem to agree, "Sometimes I let him help me."

When asked if they had one word of advice for vehicle owners about winter maintenance, Ty offered a simple tip. "Get your oil changed. In the cold, people will let their cars run idle for far longer, which causes the oil to break down faster."

CenDak Manager Ron Keller was pleased that the Larson brothers were recognized for their service.

In addition to auto mechanics, CenDak offers fuel, a newly remodeled convenience store and deli. Keller adds, "We deliver fuel and propane to just about anywhere."

Craig and Ty were nominated by Joyce Starke and Elaine Thompson, who said they are "always friendly and willing to help no matter the situation, (even) willing to help when their jobs don't call for such service." The ladies went on to say that the Larson twins, "recognize a customer as a friend and person, not just someone with a problem. They seem to have knowledge about big and little problems. We are grateful for their willing service."

The Chamber of Commerce welcomes nominations for the Employee of the Month award. Have you experienced great served or know someone who consistently works to ensure that his or her customers are satisfied? Submit a nomination by filling out the card in the table tents or on the bulletin boards at local businesses, or go online to http://www.cityofnewrockford.com/chamber and download a form to complete and return it to the Transcript office.