photo by Brie Cohen

Charlie Balfe, left, and Alex Pobanz are the new owners of Shell Rapid Lube on Bridge Avenue. Appointments are not needed for oil changes and customers are served on a first-come, first-served basis.

Their second venture

Business Monday

By Sarah Stultz | Albert Lea Tribune

Published Monday, February 9, 2009

They saw a business opportunity and ran with it.

Toward the end of November, engaged couple Charlie Balfe and Alex Pobanz of Clarks Grove re-opened the Shell Rapid Lube on Bridge Avenue under new ownership.

They had never owned a car service center before, but they said they thought Albert Lea needed one after the business had closed under a different ownership a short while before.

“People always need their oil changed,” Pobanz said. “People are always going to be driving.”

Because they also own a business called Pobanz Trucking, they know what’s involved with running a business. And they’re making it a priority to treat their customers well and to provide good, honest work, they said.

When a customer comes in to have their vehicle looked at, the mechanic working on it will take the customer and show them what their vehicle needs, Pobanz said.

If something’s wrong with the vehicle, the mechanic will identify the problem and explain to the customer whether it is something that can wait a while to be fixed or needs to be fixed right away, Balfe said.

“A lot of people like the honesty,” she said.

The couple said Shell Rapid Lube can provide pretty much any kind of preventative maintenance for vehicles, including oil changes and flushes. They offer competitive prices for their services and also make sure to provide other services such as vacuuming and washing windows.

No appointments are necessary, and customers are served on a first-come, first-serve basis, the couple said. The business can service two vehicles at a time.

Right now with the business there are the owners, two full-time workers and two part-time workers for evenings and weekends.

One of those full-time workers is Scott Jensen, a certified mechanic who is at the business Monday through Friday.

Jensen said he was with the company when it first opened as Indie Lube in 1992. He worked there for 7 1/2 years. It switched to Shell Rapid Lube in 2004.

“I was here from ground zero,” he said. “We set up all the furniture and everything.”

The only thing that’s really changed over the years, he said, is the car technology.

He’s enjoyed seeing a lot of old faces and getting back into the business.

“I’m just happy we could provide this service in Albert Lea,” Jensen said. “My biggest thing is protecting people’s second biggest investment.”

Shell Rapid Lube is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, at 2307 Bridge Ave.

The business can be reached by phone at 373-1200.

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