Driven by integrity

Auto repair shop strives for honesty in business

EVART — After selling the company he and his brothers built from the ground up, Chuck Leutz couldn’t stay out of the auto repair business. With a variety of experience in body work, auto repair and vehicle rebuilding, Leutz owned and operated five auto businesses in Evart and Baldwin before selling the businesses a few years ago. “I’ve done body work my whole life, so when I sold my other business, people started bringing their cars to my house,” Leutz said. “When you serve a community for 30 years, they put their trust in you.” In 2010, Leutz built Leutz’s Pro Fix in Evart, which he owns with his son, Ben. Though the shop does not do body work, it specializes in complete vehicle maintenance, such as brake repair, oil changes and transmission work. The business works to maintain customer trust by upholding standards of honesty and integrity. When a customer wanted a quote for a specialized exhaust replacement, Chuck sought to find her the best deal. “I called around to a few exhaust shops and got her some estimates,” he said. “I knew they were cheaper than I could have done it, and she told me, ‘Thanks for your honesty.’” With a Bible next to the computer on his desk and a Christian “icthus” symbol as part of his business logo, the Evart business owners are not shy about the Christian principles that drive their business. “We’re all believers in Christ, so why not advertise that?” Chuck said. Having recently expanded his shop to include two more garage bays for work space, he plans to increase his business by building a body shop across the parking lot in the future. This month, the Herald Review shines its business spotlight on the Leutz’s Pro Fix, located at 6111 60th Ave. in Evart.   HERALD REVIEW: Give a brief explanation of what your business does or specializes in. CHUCK LEUTZ: Our business does complete vehicle maintenance. We specialize in brakes, oil changes, transmission filter/fluid change, new and used tires of most any brand, suspension and steering, tune-ups, batteries, wiper blades (three-stage glass cleaning with purchase), vehicle accessories such as running boards, nerf bars, tonneau covers, mud flaps, floor mats, hitches, brush guards, bed liners and more. Most of all, we keep your vehicle running well. We also do recreational vehicle repair such as quads and snowmobiles.   What is one thing most people don’t know about your business? LEUTZ: People don’t know that we do recreational vehicle repair and vehicle accessories.   How does your business give to the community? LEUTZ: First, we give to the community a professional job at reasonable price. We support our community in ways of contributing assistance to events in and around the area.   What is an interesting trend you’ve seen with your company, or customers? LEUTZ: The most interesting trend we see is that after 28 years of good service from our previous business, customers appreciate the quality of work performed and return for future repairs. We believe that honesty is the best policy. What is the best and worst thing about being in the business that you’re in? LEUTZ: The best part of our business is gaining a relationship with our customers and understanding their need for vehicle repair. The worst part of our business is the constant job of maintaining a clean environment where customers feel comfortable and confident.   Any last comments? LEUTZ: We appreciate the support from the community and would like to say thank you for helping our business expand. God bless.

Taking Care of Business Name of business: Leutz’s Pro Fix Name(s) of business owner(s): Charles and Ben Leutz Number of employees: Three Address: 6111 60th Ave. in Evart Phone number: (231) 734-9940 Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday Established: 2010