Mountain Valley Center in North Bend gained a new tenant two

weeks before Christmas, but it wasn’t until last week that Schuck’s Auto Parts

was ready to “formally” say hello to the Valley.

Located at 350 Mount Si Blvd., the recent addition to the Upper

Valley’s business scene actually opened for business on Dec. 10. The party

was held last Saturday, complete with prize drawings and live radio coverage

from two Seattle-area stations.

“Business has been good,” said manager Ron Lemaster, who

came over from the company’s Renton store to take the reins. “All we did was

unlock the front doors and people started coming in.”

The North Bend Schuck’s is one of approximately 1,100

nationwide, with stores in some parts of the country carrying the Checker’s and

Kragen names. Lemaster’s crew numbers eight, including two assistant

managers _ Jerry Gardner and Bruce Murphy _ who are from North Bend.

“This is one of our larger stores,” he commented. “It’s about twice

the size of a traditional or older style store. We offer a wide variety of

selection and prices. One thing we feature, if you can find the same comparable

part cheaper somewhere else, we’ll beat the price by five percent.”

Besides the aisles chocked full of oil, parts, accessories,

lubricants, dress-up items, hardware and automotive components, Schuck’s also

offers several services. The store serves as an oil-recycling center and will

also take that old auto battery off your hands.

“Our basic philosophy is to exceed the customer’s expectations,”

said Lemaster. “When they come in here, we give them a shopping

experience beyond what they initially expected.”

While the store is part of a large national chain, Lemaster

feels Schuck’s has much to offer the local community. He knows that he and

his employees are glad to be here.

“I think there’s a definite tie into the community,” he

commented. “That’s our intention. We want to be

a strong part of the community and participate in community activities.”