Kardell to celebrate 20 years of business in Laurel
LAUREL— Two decades of service to the Laurel area have been reached recently by Dave Kardell of Kardell’s Auto.
“I’ve always enjoyed cars and vehicles,’’ Kardell said of why he was first attracted to this line of work. “Originally I went to school for diesel mechanics, then worked at a car dealership. I enjoy sales. For the most part, I enjoyed finding vehicles for people and looking for exactly what they wanted.’’
Kardell recalls his customers have come from all walks of life including some as far away as Colorado.
“I’ve dealt with people from all around,’’ he said.
Describing himself as a “one-man business,’’ Kardell works on all makes of cars including light repair, oil changes, tires, brake work and light maintenance service.
“A lot of people like to support local businesses,’’ he said. “Some people in town just like to deal with a small business rather than some of the downfalls of a big business. They know they can come to me and I make the decisions rather than going through three levels of management at a larger dealership.’’
Kardell grew up in Laurel.
“I enjoy living in a small town. I’ve never known anything different,’’ he said. “What I do involves a lot of hours, however, it is rewarding.’’
Someone starting out in this type of business would have to expect to put in long hours in order to make the business work.
“I enjoy helping people. I have unlocked many car doors at all hours of the night,’’ Kardell remembers. “I haven’t found any type of vehicles yet that I couldn’t work on.”
He said he doesn’t prefer any particular brand of vehicle. “There’s good and bad in all the brands.
The roots of this business goes back many, many years between the Kardell and the Knudsen families. In 1949, Dave’s grandfather, Oscar Kardell bought and managed the Standard Oil Station until 1951. Dave’s father, Kenneth Kardell, worked in the business until he was drafted for the Korean War, Oscar Kardell then sold the station to Westergaard Knudsen. In 1960, Harry Knudsen bought his father’s service station and operated it for 38 years.
While working at Konken’s dealership in Hartington, Dave Kardell said he called Knudsen to see if he wanted to retire and sell the business. Knudsen thought about it and called back a couple months later. An agreement was reached that resulted in the business returning to the Kardell family name to present day owner Dave Kardell.
A customer appreciation open house will be held from 5-7 p.m., Jan. 20, at the Laurel VFW. Kardell said he plans to serve a meal including soup, sandwiches and pie. Drawings will be held for prizes.
