We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
American Garage in Chinook will be hosting the Chamber's Business After Hours set for Thursday, February 11. Co-owners Heather and Scott DePriest pose in front of a photo of the original American Garage location. Heather holds a framed coin the couple found in their backyard, from an American Garage promotional campaign, that gave them the idea for the name of their automotive business they started in 2006.
American Garage in Chinook will host the next monthly Business After Hours on Thursday, February 11th 2015. Scott and Heather DePriest own and manage the automotive repair and service facility just east of Chinook at 40440 US Highway 2. The monthly Chamber of Commerce sponsored event gives business members an opportunity to showcase their businesses in a relaxed atmosphere, outside of normal operating hours. This is the third year the event has been sponsored by the Chinook Chamber.
A short history of
American Garage
Scott DePriest is the third generation of his family to be involved in the automotive related business, starting with his grandfather, Jack, who operated a trucking business begun in 1943. In the early 1960's the family added the GMC franchise and established the dealership. Frank DePriest, Jack's son, was also a part of the business. Starting in high school, Scott worked with his dad and grandfather in the family business. He then attended the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, a training facility specifically sponsored for General Motors repair technicians.
Scott and Heather married in 2003 and he continued working with the family business until 2006 when Scott broke away from the family dealership and opened American Garage on Indiana Street (some readers may recall that location as the Circle K food store, now Cow Creek Feeds). In 2012 Scott and Heather moved the business to their current building, once the DePriest GMC dealership, after some extensive remodeling. They now have seven employees, all graduates from Blaine County high schools with six from Chinook High, as are Scott and Heather.
They chose American Garage for the name of their business in an unusual way. About 10 years ago, digging around in their backyard while building a patio, they found an old metal coin from the original American Garage in Chinook. The coin was good for $1 off on a number of auto accessories sold by the former business. Heather said, "We did some research and learned about the old garage that served travelers on Highway 2 when the route ran through Chinook. We liked the historical connection and adopted the name for our business." The old American Garage now houses Precision Auto Body, Inc., in the 200 block of Pennsylvania Street.
In addition to mechanical work, American Garage also sells used vehicles and automotive accessories. Over the years they've added other specialty services, such as exhaust and performance products, as well as alignments, consignments and more. American Garage's four lead technicians all have advanced degrees in automotive and diesel repair, and the shop uses a variety of high tech machines to diagnose vehicles precisely.
When asked about the activities during the February 9 celebration, Heather said, "We are going to have a great party!" She went on to describe some 'awesome' door prizes that will be given away, a soup dinner and introductions of their employees and their accreditations. The DePriest's will also be explaining the services and products they offer and will be announcing plans for new products and services at the event. The shop facility will also be open so guests can see some of the high tech diagnostic equipment used by the technicians.
Business After Hours events are open to anyone to attend, not just Chamber members. The times are 6-8pm on February 11. Mark your calendars...
