North Topeka nets new Auto Shop

Relocation: Six Auto Service moving from south Topeka to new facility by Topeka Boulevard bridge

Last Modified:
1:25 p.m. 2/28/2002

By John Chambers
Special to The Capital-Journal

NORTH TOPEKA -- South Topeka's loss is North Topeka's gain.

A new and bigger home for Six Auto Service, now located at 3840 S.W. Topeka Blvd., is being built at the north end of the North Topeka Boulevard bridge -- at the "gateway to North Topeka," as owner Darrell Six described the new location.

Carney Construction, a North Topeka business at 211 N.W. Norris, is building the five-bay auto service center on the northeast corner of Gordon and North Topeka Boulevard. Financing the new construction is another North Topeka institution, Kaw Valley Bank.

Six Auto Service will perform general mechanical work at the service center with the help of the latest electronic diagnostic equipment and a lot of experience, Six said.

"We can diagnose just about anything, from new cars on down," he said.

Six will bring with him his service manager, Bill Harris, and three mechanics, and probably will hire a couple more mechanics, he said.

Harris has been with Six for 10 years and has a total of 20 years of experience as a mechanic. He had his own business and did all the mechanical work for Six's used auto dealership before going to work in the Six shop.

Six said he hopes to have the new service center open in April. It will be open to the public and also will service the cars in his dealership before and after they are sold. Six has a used car dealership at 1301 N.W. Topeka Blvd., a block and a half north of the new service center.

"We've always been kind of partial to North Topeka," Six said. "We like it up here. With the construction on the bridge, I thought it would be good for North Topeka people to have the business over here."

Six, who is the president of the North Topeka Business Alliance, said the North Topeka on the Move Association has obtained a grant to install a new North Topeka gateway sign on the corner by his new shop.