New Owners at Kahoka Quik Lube
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By Emily Bontrager
On January 1, the new owners of the Kahoka Quik Lube took over operating the local business. The new owners are Clayton and Kara Dienst of Clark County.
Clayton, 45, grew up in the area and graduated from Clark County R-1 High School in 1997. His wife, Kara, age 39, grew up near Branson, Missouri. She graduated from Reeds Spring High School in 2002 and has a cosmetology degree and a Bachelor’s in Business Finance and Accounting.
Clayton started working with his father doing electrical work right after high school. Over the years, he has worked at IMI Equipment, Birkey’s Farm Store in Macomb, Illinois, and several other jobs.
Kara moved around a lot and has had different jobs over the years. She previously worked at the home office at Farm & Home in Moberly, Missouri for nine years.
In 2015, Clayton and Kara got married and they have four kids.
A few months ago, one of Kara’s coworkers told her about the Kahoka Quik Lube looking for a new owner and operator. Her coworker suggested that Kara show the ad to Clayton.
“She knows he is very mechanically minded, so I texted it to him and he said, ‘I don’t know,’” Kara said.
Clayton ultimately decided to send in a resume. The couple went in and talked to the owners of the building and former operator, Dawn Smith. Kara told Clayton she thought he should run the business and the two decided to purchase Kahoka Quik Lube.
“After 20 years of part service, I kind of decided that I wanted to shift gears. Instead of selling parts, I wanted to sell service and I like being back in my hometown instead of driving 30 minutes one way to work every day,” Clayton explained.
The first day of operation with the new owners was on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.
“He is running it. I am just here to help with the background,” Kara said.
Robert Yount, who worked as an oil technician for previous owners Dawn and Ronnie Smith, will still be working for the business.
“He brings a lot of experience and good service,” Clayton said.
“He is very good at what he does,” Kara added.
Kahoka Quik Lube provides a lot of services to their customers, including oil changes, washing the vehicle windows, and vacuuming the floors in the vehicles. They also check the regular fluids, wiper blades, and the air filter for each customer’s vehicle.
“It is a typical car care service,” Kara said.
Kahoka Quik Lube is located at 111 West Cedar Street in Kahoka, Missouri. The shop is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you have any questions, you can call Kahoka Quik Lube at 660-727-1080 and you can also follow them on Facebook.
Clayton and Kara are very excited to have the opportunity to run Kahoka Quik Lube and they want to serve their customers as best as they can.
“We are excited to be here and to serve them and we hope that they come and support us like they did Dawn. We hope that they trust us as much as they trusted her and we hope we can keep this place going for Kahoka,” Kara said.
“Small businesses are a big deal in a small town, and we want to make sure that we are investing back in the place that we live.”
Clayton and Kara want to say thank you to a few people who have helped them get into the business.
“Thanks to Bryson and Corby for believing that we can do it and for Dawn for selling it to us and training us and giving us all the tips and tricks,” Kara said.
Related Posts
Uncertain Future for Kahoka Blood Drives
