Mabel Economic Development and city council member Kirsten Wyffels announced at the June Mabel City Council meeting that it is nice to see the Pit Stop open and driving business to Mabel’s main street.
In the blink of an eye, the for-sale sign was there one day, and the next day it was gone. The Pit Stop officially opened on June 1.
Lifelong Mabel residents, Nate and Lisa Halverson have rented the garage at 102 W. Prairie Ave. across from the Mabel Cooperative Telephone company from Duane Falk, who operated the Pit Stop for a number of years and gave the couple permission to continue using the familiar business name.
“I was very honored by that,” Nate said. “I told him I don’t want to wreck the Pit Stop name. We’re focused on quality over quantity. I don’t care how many vehicles we push through – just do a quality job. That’s the main thing. We want to develop loyal customers, as well.”
Nate has worked for Fireline Sprinkler Company for about 25 years and farms approximately 300 acres of corn and soybean with his dad. In his spare time, he enjoys “fixing something in the shop” on the farm.
Lisa has served as the high school secretary at Mabel-Canton School for the past 14 years.
The couple has three children: Ella, 16; Nolan, 14; and Gavin, 9, all students at Mabel-Canton.
When it came time to hire a mechanic, the Halversons knew exactly who they wanted. They selected 21-year-old, Kaiser Soiney, also a Mabel native known for his friendly personality and strong mechanical abilities.
“When we started thinking about it, we wanted somebody who was personable, and eager to try different things,” Nate said. “We were both talking about it one day, and I had one person in mind. Lisa guessed right away that it was Kaiser. We’ve been friends with his parents for years and have known him since he was a little guy.”
Kaiser graduated from Mabel-Canton and has more than two years of professional experience as a mechanic. In addition to his work experience, he has spent years working on his own vehicles.
Kaiser is what makes the Pit Shot stand out from other repair shops in Northeast Iowa and Southeast Minn.
Describing his approach to oil changes, Kaiser explained that he likes to look over everything. He checks the tires, brakes, looks for leaks, makes sure the cooling system is okay, checks the washer fluid, and inspects anything that could cause a problem.
Asked about the biggest challenge in opening the shop, Nate said the billing process has been difficult.
“We were really worried about the billing,” he said. “We didn’t know how to bill anybody. We’d never done it before, so we’re still in the process of learning. We’re just taking the information on the slips.”
Customers can pay by cash, credit card, debit card, or Venmo.
One thing they are not accepting at this time is IOUs.
Their number one goal is to build a strong reputation through positive word-of-mouth recommendations and dependable service.
The Pit Shop specializes in light service and repair work on cars and trucks, UTVs and lawnmowers.
“There’s definitely a need for UTV and lawnmower service in this area,” Nate said.
Service work includes brakes, oil, tires, and light service work.
While the shop can install tires and batteries, it does not keep them in stock. Items are ordered as needed and can usually be delivered quickly. Batteries ordered in the morning can often arrive in the afternoon, while tires generally take one to two days.
Asked where he sees the business in five years, Nate smiled and said he hopes to be doing much the same thing, unless Kaiser comes up with something different he wants to do.
Business hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information or to schedule service, call 507-493-5222 or email Pitstopllc26@gmail.com.
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