Childhood passion becomes career for Rick LeShure
Career counselors often offer this bit of advice: do what you love, what you are passionate about, and the money will follow.
Rick LeShure, owner of Rick's Service, 147 West Main, Marion, has taken that advice to heart, turning his boyhood passion for tinkering with engines into a full-time, full-service automotive repair business.
LeShure moved to Marion with his parents in 1989, when he was four years old. Six years later, LeShure discovered the world of engine repair.
"I started out when I was about 10 years old, working on a lawn mower engine," LeShure recalled. "It was the most exciting thing I'd ever experienced."
It didn't take long for LeShure to begin testing and honing his skills on larger, more complex engines. He jumped from push mower engines to riding mowers, then to go carts, and tackled his first car engine when he was only 14 years old.
"I've been mostly self-taught," said LeShure. "When I needed help, I'd ask a mechanic or my step-dad."
"It all just comes to me naturally," he added.
LeShure fondly recalled the first car he had the chance to do extensive work on.
"It was a little 1980 Mazda 626. I got it for $50, and it needed about $500 in parts," he laughed.
Once LeShure finished work on that car, he sold it and got another, and started the process all over again. Since that time, he estimates he's purchased, refurbished, and sold between 20-30 vehicles.
While auto mechanics was his passion, LeShure tried a number of different jobs before taking the big step of opening his own garage.
Carpentry, cabinet making, McDonald's, and other jobs occupied him for various lengths of time. More often than not, those jobs were a means to an end, providing money to fuel his work on cars.
Two years ago, LeShure worked as an assistant manager at Casey's, an experience that's proven valuable as a new business owner.
"I learned a lot about how a business is run, about accounting and bookkeeping," he explained.
LeShure was doing carpentry work this past year with his stepfather, Al Church, but when work slowed down going into the fall, LeShure decided the time was ripe to finally pursue his dream.
Rick's Service opened in mid — November, and LeShure said he typically has several jobs a day to keep him busy.
With other automotive repair services to compete with for business, LeShure is banking on pricing and quality to attract and retain customers.
"I'm the least expensive in town, and if anything isn't right, I'll fix it for free — parts and labor," LeShure declared.
"So far, I haven't had anyone who has come back with a problem," he added.
As LeShure builds his business, he is looking toward future improvements.
"The only thing I don't have now that I want is a lift," he said. "Eventually I'd like to expand the shop area a bit, so I have another working bay, and maybe hire another mechanic."
