Jul. 31—CLAYTON — After more than two decades in business, Fred's Quick Lube has been sold, ending a long era of business run by a husband and wife.
From becoming an EMT firefighter to working summers in her family's auto shop, Heather R. Lipczynski has made many decisions following in the footsteps of a father she's always looked up to. She said the sale feels bittersweet.
"That business has been our family, and every customer that comes in has been our family," Ms. Lipczynski said. "We're very proud of it."
The shop at 906 James St., which was owned and operated by her parents, Fred E. Jackson Jr. and Lynda L. Jackson, for 22 years, was recently purchased by the neighboring business, Phinney's Automotive Center.
"With COVID, trying to get employees and trying to get responsible employees has really been a nightmare," Ms. Lipczynski said. "For many years, my dad worked until 10, 11 and midnight, so it just got to be too much."
She said her family had been negotiating with Matt Phinney since earlier this year. To make things more comfortable for their loyal customers, she said her dad is going to be staying on with Phinney's for a period of time.
"They wanted to make sure it was a smooth transition because our customers are family," Ms. Lipczynski said. "They wanted to make sure everyone was going to be taken care of."
Ms. Lipczynski said she was in first grade when she and her parents moved to Chaumont and when they opened the business in Clayton. She spent her summers working there, answering the phones, cleaning and doing general shop maintenance.
"Dedication pays off," she said, adding that she learned from watching her mom and dad. "It's just the three of us. I don't have any siblings. It's just my mom, dad and me — of course until I got married and had kids of my own."
She has also admired her father as a firefighter. Mr. Jackson was a member of the Depauville Volunteer Fire Department and then the Fishers Landing Fire Department before they moved to Chaumont and he joined there. He was fire chief in Chaumont for 19 years, and his daughter said he has saved three lives as an EMT volunteer firefighter. It inspired Ms. Lipczynski to join the department, where she is now second assistant fire chief.
"I just look up to that tremendously," she said. "And being able to be a fire chief now, even though it's an assistant, it's pretty awesome. "I'm doing this because of you, dad.'"