Geared for the Challenge – Glen's Automotive Celebrates 30 Years

SEELEY LAKE - Glen and Mary Ann Morin opened Glen's Automotive Service (Glen's) Oct. 15, 1985 on Highway 83 in Seeley Lake. While Glen's goal has always been to offer first class bumper-to-bumper service, the last 30 years have brought about significant changes in the automotive industry, challenging the Morins to hire qualified service personnel and keep up with new technology.

Glen grew up on a ranch in Arlee, Mont. His family tested machinery, making recommendations to the company to help it operate at its full potential.

After graduating high school, Glen attended mechanics school prior to being drafted by the Army in 1970. Because of his mechanical expertise he qualified with an E4 specialist ranking and was sent to Germany as a tank mechanic instead of to Vietnam. He received his electronic base training working on the turrets for Sheridan tanks as an E5 specialist.

Glen was able to return to Fort Missoula to finish out his 22 months of service in the Army Reserves.

He and his wife Mary Ann, originally from Eureka, Mont., lived in Missoula for 10 years. Glen worked at Washington Construction as their gasoline-powered equipment mechanic and as a front end/alignment mechanic at various other shops in Missoula.

Glen was recovering from knee surgery when his Seeley Lake friend Martin Cahoon asked him to work for him as a mechanic. Glen said that when he thought he would temporarily come to help out Cahoon, he was told by God to move to Seeley Lake one Sunday as he walked out of church.

The Morins, who at the time had four children, moved to Seeley Lake in 1981. Glen worked for Cahoon at Rovero's and then for Ed and Diane Richards after they purchased the business. When Richards decided to sell the business, Glen knew he needed to either open his own shop or get out of the mechanic profession because it was changing to more electronics.

With encouragement from Larry Marx, the Morins purchased their current lot on Highway 83 for $6,000 from Bud Lake in 1981. Marx drew up the plans for Glen's shop one evening after dinner in a half an hour.

"Addrien [Marx] and Larry both saw potential in Seeley Lake," said Mary Ann.

According to Glen, Marx convinced Jim Cowan to talk to 1st Valley Bank on their behalf by saying, "We've got a good couple here and we need to keep them in town." The Morins received the first commercial loan given by 1st Valley Bank, which was built in 1984.

Marx built the original 36 foot by 40 foot shop complete with two and a half stalls and two hoists. The Morins decided to put wood siding on the building instead of metal sheeting to keep the rustic character of Seeley Lake.

"Everyone asked us about why we needed the hoists," said Glen. "I knew I wasn't going to work on my back all the time."

Glen's was one of three main-street businesses built in 1985. The other two included the Valley Market and the Wilderness Gateway Inn.

"We bought the property with the money from selling our house in Missoula, bought inventory because there was no parts store in town and we had $200 in our pocket when we opened," said Glen. "It's always been an act of faith."

In their first anniversary article run in the Sept. 25, 1986 issue of the Seeley Swan Pathfinder, Mary Ann said, "He does everything except tires and font-end alignments [on all types of cars and trucks]."

Mary Ann worked the front of the shop visiting with the customers while Glen did the necessary repairs. They hired help as needed. Customers would throw Glen the keys and tell him when they would be back to pick up their vehicle.

"I hardly ever did estimates. A high ticket item was $100," said Glen. "Now it has gone crazy with the change in labor rates and parts' costs going up."

In 1991 Mary Ann took a job as a teacher's aide at Sunset School to help put their first child through college.

"I should have paid her and kept her around," Glen joked. "The slave labor wasn't worth it."

As demand increased, Glen had to hire more people, get more training and purchase more equipment. Glen's added the office space, made the half bay into a full bay and added the long bay in 2000. They were able to use their alignment machine following the addition.

In his 30 years, Glen has become an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Certified Master Mechanic. His shop is AAA auto repair approved with a 98.8 percent approval rating and offers a NAPA Auto Care nationwide warranty. He offers tires, tire service, alignments, electronics, bumper-to-bumper service from major engine work to basic mechanical repairs.

Glen listed numerous changes over the past 30 years: technology in the cars; equipment; different tires; the shift from paper to computers; increased access to information and parts availability. The biggest change for Glen came in 2010 when the newer cars required more training and higher expertise to be able to diagnose the vehicle's problem using an electronic box.

Glen can now order parts through NAPA PROLink, an online parts ordering system, and have them delivered to NAPA in Seeley Lake or another parts store in Missoula. Glen can order tires from Spokane, Wash. and have them delivered in two days. He also has access to Identifix, a program available online to mechanics to share how they have worked out problems on a particular vehicle.

"I do general mechanic work and don't have the expertise from the dealer," said Glen. "This helps me identify the problem and get it fixed."

Because Glen is a general mechanic and does not service one particular type of vehicle, he needs different tools to work on various vehicles, different manuals and his computer needs to be upgraded continuously.

"It would have been cheaper to be a lawyer," Glen said with a laugh.

While Glen's has embraced the electronic age, Glen still sends out paper invoices figuring someday he will have to switch them to electronic as well.

"I enjoy something different every day and being pushed. Each car is different. I enjoy information at my fingertips, saving my knuckles, bruises and banging my head," said Glen

Glen recalls when he started with Cahoon that he not only could recognize everyone in town by their vehicle but also knew where they were going as they drove by the shop. Mary Ann remembers the Post Office closing for lunch and Glen's being able to shut down for their children's sports games spanning 32 seasons.

"This is small town," said Mary Ann. "We could leave a note, 'In case of emergency, come to the football game.' It allowed us to have a family."

The Morins served on several community boards including the community council, sewer, water, school, and hospital district and worked with various groups in Seeley Lake. Mary Ann was the instigator in starting the Seeley-Swan Food Bank after reading about the Lincoln Food Bank in their newspaper in 1999.

"We love the community, would see a need and were working with good people," said Glen. "We enjoy working with people to make decisions for the community."

"We understand how important the infrastructure is for the community," added Mary Ann.

Glen's passion has always been racing which he started, according to Mary Ann, before he had a driver's license. According to Glen he officially started drag racing in 2004. This year he won the Flathead Race in the Super Pro class and placed third in points in the Super Pro class.

The hardest thing for the Morins has been watching the old timers of Seeley Lake leave the area or pass away. "We wait in the spring to see people come back and when they don't it's hard," said Mary Ann.

One thing still remains the same after 30 years, "We really appreciate the community," Mary Ann unknowingly echoed Glen's comment from the 1986 article. "We wouldn't be here without them."