KANOPOLIS — Jon Walker opened shop about five months ago where the old Kanopolis Tire & Lube shop used to be at 105 S. Kansas Ave. Since then, it’s been going well.

“We like providing a service and are happy to do whatever someone needs,” Walker said.

And Walker is not kidding. A jack-of-all-trades, he is ready to serve in a number of ways. His shop can handle general auto repairs like brakes, oil changes, tire rods and even weld repairs.

“We do a little bit of everything,” he said. “We even do custom seat and dash covers and hope to set up to sell carports.”

Walker has been handling his own automobile needs for as long as he can remember, but he also worked as a mechanic in Great Bend for a number of years.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for many years and this building came up for sale, so I jumped on it,” he said. “It was kind of too good to be true.”

A family business right now, it is Walker and his wife doing it all Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. They travel to the shop from Holyrood where they live with their youngest children. He handles most of the labor while his wife, Mary, handles the books. But she’s no stranger to the labor either. She helps with some of the general services like oil changes.

“My family is very supportive,” Walker said. “The kids love it and my wife is excited.”

One of their sons is currently serving in the United States Army. When he comes home, he will likely lend a hand to his parents. With such a patriotic tie, the business offers a 10 percent military discount. They also offer pickups and deliveries on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Business is going so well that they are looking to expand their services. They are putting in a second lift and hope to bring in another employee to help out part-time. Once that happens, they will look at being open on Saturdays as well.

“Business has been pretty steady enough to keep myself busy, and it would be nice to get a second guy in to help out,” Walker said.

Small-town businesses offer something that the big city doesn’t — a personal touch. Walker and his family are happy to be offering that to the community.

“You get to know your customers better here,” he said. “You get to build a more personable relationship with your customers. I like that.”