My Biz: After his day job, he heads to the garage

Owner: Darrick Knutsen

Company: Knutsen Auto Repair & Sales

Address: 4003 J St. SW, Cedar Rapids

Phone: (319)981-0643

Website: Find it on Facebook

Elevator pitch: The mechanic on Mountain Dew

CEDAR RAPIDS - Darrick Knutsen's love for turning wrenches came from breaking things. Deliberately.

“In high school I got into the automotive thing, but I did not go to school for any of this,” he explained of his love for diagnosing and repairing everything from forklifts to transmissions to motors.

“I used to tear things apart - and trust me, I got into trouble for it,” he recalled. “I tore many things apart and never got them back together, but that's how I learned to do what I do.”

Knutsen worked for Tuffy's in Cedar Rapids, first turning wrenches, as he likes to call it, which earned him a Technician of the Year award - to eventually managing the Cedar Rapids location.

Necessary back surgery made him think he needed to hang up his wrenches. But his joy for the work brought him back to the industry.

In 2006 he formally opened Knutsen Auto Repair, his part-time business - if you call 40-plus hours a week part-time. His customer base comes from when he did repairs in his garage at his home.

Knutsen also works the 7:30 a.m.-to-3 p.m. shift, 5 days a week, as a road tech for Hupp Electric Motors in Cedar Rapids, where he's been employed since 2007.

“I go to our customer's location and fix their forklifts,” he explained.

He then heads over to his rented shop on J Street S.W. to work until 9 or 10 at night. Saturday and Sundays are spent at the shop, too.

“I just love it - the troubleshooting and repairing things,” said the married father of three. “If I get backed up with work, I do have a guy I can call in to help me out so my plate doesn't get too full.”

He said his wife and children understand.

“Sometimes they'll bring breakfast or dinner down to me at the shop,” he said. “They know how it is - things don't just come to you.

“If you want things, that means working.”

Knutsen doesn't believe in charging flat rate or hourly fees.

“I've been doing this work for years, so I kind of know roughly in my head how long it's going to take me to do a job,” he added.

He admitted his work days are full. But, he joked, “I can get up at 2 a.m., drink a can a Mountain Dew, eat a Reese's Peanut Butter cup and go back to bed until I have to get up at 6:30 for work.”

Do you know someone whose company has been in operation for at least a year who should be considered for “My Biz”? Contact business editor Michael Chevy Castranova at michael.castranova@sourcemedia.net.

The Gazette also is seeking entrepreneurs for “From the Ground Up,” a new feature to focus on startups. Send your suggestions to michael.castranova@sourcemedia.net.