At the time of purchase , the
Chrysler dealership had been owned and operated in conjunction
with an agriculture implement dealership . It appeared to be
quite a challenge for the born and raised Carmel boys to make
a go of it on the Chrysler line only , especially since the
parent Chrysler company was just coming out of some major
financial difficulties , but with a lot of determination and
community and area support , the business was able to grow .
At the time South 20 Dodge was
formed , there were just five employees besides the Kosokowsky
duo . Of these five , two of these are still familiar faces
within South 20's walls today . Gordon Reineke , a Chrysler
man through and through , was there as a journeyman technician
the day the doors opened on Sept 15,1986 and is still today ,
a key member of the technical staff at the dealership . Steve
Slipetz , a young apprentice mechanic at the time , was also
part of the team the day South 20 opened its doors to the
public . Steve worked at South 20 for a year or two before
heading to Saskatoon to a Chrysler dealership where he
continued his advancement to journeyman technician status . In
September of 2000 , Steve got reacquainted with South 20 as he
became a partner in the business .
South 20 Dodge Chrysler went
through some trying times and only a couple of years into
business , the already limited staff complement was reduced by
one more leaving the number of employees at six, including
Willie and Richard . Fortunately , the business was able to
survive through those difficult years . In 1989 , Rod Ehalt
joined South 20 as sales manager and quickly became a key
performer in South 20's progress . In 1993 , an opportunity
existed for Rod to enter the ownership ranks and shortly
thereafter , an agreement for partnership was finalized as Rod
, Richard and Willie joined forces .
While South 20 Dodge was getting
back on its feet , the German theme within Humboldt was also
looking to gain a foothold . As the South 20 building itself
was in need of a physical change , the decision to put a
German front on the building was undertaken and proved to be a
worthwhile effort .
The Chrysler Dodge dealership was
significantly enhanced by obtaining the Jeep franchise in the
early 90's . This , along with a proven Chrysler Dodge product
lineup made South 20 a strong contender in the automotive
industry . As the mid 90's rolled around , it became quite
obvious that in order to accommodate its growth , South 20
would need a much larger facility . Plans were put in place
and it was on February 1, 1997, that South 20 started business
in their new facility , a facility located a quarter mile
north of their previous location . This is the same facility
in which South 20 Dodge Chrysler operates their business today
. Upon entering their new premises , the number of employees ,
including owners , had reached about 20 people , very
comparable to the number of employees that exist today at
South 20 .
In February of 2000 , South 20
Dodge Chrysler was honored to accept the Humboldt and District
Chamber of Commerce's first "Business of the Year" award .
Shortly after , during the summer
of the same year , Rod Ehalt made the decision to leave South
20 Dodge and pursue other interests . With his departure ,
Willie and Richard Kosokowsky recruited Steve Slipetz , a
former employee , and Clayton Wourms , who had been employed
in the sales department for four years , to fill the vacancy
in the ownership ranks . This partnership became official on
September 1, 2000 .
In December of 2001 , South 20
Dodge was rewarded with the distinction of becoming a Five
Star dealership , which meant the dealership had achieved a
specific criteria of customer service in order to be awarded
this honour .
As recently as November 1 , 2004 ,
another shareholder restructuring took place as Garret Porten
, a journeyman technician and employee of South 20 for several
years , joined partnership with Willie Kosokowsky , Richard
Kosokowsky and Steve Slipetz . The opportunity for Garret
Porten arose after Clayton Wourms left to seek other interests.
The management of South 20
realizes that it has taken not only the support of the
community and area to succeed , but also the dedication and
commitment of their staff . Not taking a back seat to South
20's success has also been the behind-the-scenes support of
wives and family . At this time, the management would like to
thank all those who have played any part in the growth of
South 20 .
"We're
proud to be partnered with the business community serving
Humboldt and area."
South 20 Dodge
Chrysler Ltd. is a certified DaimlerChrysler Five Star
retailer with an inventory of high quality new and
pre-owned vehicles. The team at South 20 Dodge Chrysler
Ltd. believes that customer service means making your
vehicle buying experience an enjoyable one. Our
