Instead of curing the ails and ills of people, he finds
himself nursing and healing automobiles. And, like a doctor, he believes in the
age-old adage of "an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of
cure."
Especially when 'cure' usually means 'a lot of money out of
one's pocket' to get an automobile back on the road.
For Lee, the founding of his latest business venture,
Kotzebue Automotive Services, is about making life in rural Alaska a little
better for everyone. Better auto care and maintenance will mean a more
dependable, longer-lasting vehicle for residents, and less money out of their
pockets.
"We saw that there was a need for high-quality
automotive care, especially using the industry standards used in the Lower
48." Said Lee, who has spent more than three decades operating businesses
in the Kotzebue area. "Life for cars out here is hard. There isn't a lot
of maintenance, so we're trying to work with our customers to learn about their
cars, and the options they have."
One thing Lee is serious about is educating Kotzebue residents
on the need for preventative maintenance. A little prevention can eliminate
costly cures later on.
"A lot of them (car owners) could save an arm and a leg
if they would do a little preventative maintenance," he said. Repairing a
minor problem when it is first discovered can prevent a more costly procedure
later.
In an effort to provide high-quality care, Lee established
KAS in March, creating a 2-bay garage behind the NIHA building that encompasses
almost 3,000 square feet with two car lifts and electronic diagnostic systems.
He installed a high-tech CompuStar service - making KAS the northern-most
dealer utilizing the system, hired master mechanics and established working
partnerships with automotive dealers in Anchorage to extend the businesses' services
and resources.
"We want to create a place where people can come and
get high-quality automotive care," said Lee. "We're trying to offer
better options for the customers. Many of the people who live here don't have a
lot of disposable extra income, so we're trying to create a way for them to
take better care of their cars and still survive."
In addition to bringing in mechanics and systems to diagnose
and repair automobiles, Lee has also spent countless hours educating his
customers on the value of purchasing extended warranties.
"We've been trying to encourage them to do some
preventative maintenance, and how to take advantage of their warranties and
insurance," he said. "We've found that a lot of people don't really
understand how to use the warranties and what their insurance offers. I think a
lot of people are surprised when they find out about them. That has been one
thing we have tried hard to work on."
Lee also said his staff has created an on-site financing
program to help local residents with automotive repair/maintenance costs.
Customers approved for the program will be able to make repairs and pay for
them in small payments over a period of time.
Lee said some repairs may still have to be outsourced to
Anchorage specialists, but that in many cases, local residents may find that
working agreements his team has created may save them money.
Lee also said Kotzebue Automotive Service is also one of the
first businesses in the northwest Arctic to promote environmental safety. The
business is a collection site for used automotive engine oil, and also a
collection site for used deep-fried oil generated by local restaurants.
"It is a good thing," said Lee. "We have set
up to take the used motor and deep-fried oil. Instead of having to bury that
stuff, which isn't really good for the land, or have the ravens come in, we
collect it."
Lee said his staff has actually taken the "green"
approach a step further, utilizing the used deep fried waste oil to heat their
shop during the winter months.
"We purchased a waste oil boiler that can burn waste
oil and deep fryer oil," he said. "It wasn't an easy process to set
up, but after a few months of tweaking it, we managed to get it to working
pretty efficiently."
Lee said Kotzebue Automotive Services could expand in the
future to offer other services that could promote better automotive health.
"It has been a challenge to get it started," said
Lee. "But I think it will be great."
Article Credit: http://www.thearcticsounder.com
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