By Per Peterson
For the better part of the last three years, Kevin Engelkes has toiled away in his garage, detailing other people’s vehicles. Today, he’s doing the same thing, only with a little more elbow room.
On June 26, Engelkes and his wife, Linda, opened Details by Kevin Engelkes in the former Hemmingsen’s building, which is now home to Dru Larson’s Northwest Lighting business.
“I used to do this as something on the side — a little bit here and there,” Kevin said. “Pretty soon, more and more people started calling.”
It was then that the 1985 Tracy Area High School graduate knew he was onto something. Not only that, he knew what he was doing and he’s always enjoyed doing it.
“Since I was about 16, I thought it would be something I’d like to do, but I never thought I’d actually be doing it. I’ve always liked cleaning my cars out..”
Actually, detailing vehicles was more than a hobby for Kevin — it became somewhat of an obsession during his teenage years.
“He was always obsessed with his vehicles,” Linda said. “He’d wash them twice a day. I’ll say ‘it’s good enough’ and he’ll do it again.”
“I’d wash the paint right off ‘em,” he said.
What he does now, however, goes far beyond a shiny exterior.
His detailing includes dressing tires, cleaning engines, vacuuming, cleaning door jams, and scrubbing all the panels and seats. And, of course, he does windows, too.
“And we shampoo the carpets after all that,” he said. “Buff it, wax it, make it shine …”
For more on this article, see this week’s Headlight-Herald.