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CLARKSVILLE'S
​ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BLOG

ASAP Tires: Family Business in Clarksville

8/20/2020

Comments

 
There is something about getting a flat tire that invokes feelings of helplessness and urgency.

How am I going to get to work? How much is it going to cost me?

Any family living on a budget and juggling a schedule can certainly relate. 

​But, these are the kinds of people that Oscar "Huero" Alviso Jr. and his wife, Lucy, take care of on a daily basis. 

With the family business now in his hands, Oscar Jr. focuses on supporting his family and community with a reliable  service.

He is the owner of ASAP Tires in Clarksville. Heard of em'?
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Oscar aka "Huero" has owned/operated ASAP Tires for nearly a year, with over a decade of related experience in the family business.
It Takes a Village
PictureLucy manages the front end of the business.
 A huge component of our local economy depends on small businesses and the hardworking men and women behind them, like Oscar & Lucy. It is their familiar faces and expectation of quality service which builds trust and fosters a sense community. Our local businesses accomplish this on a daily basis with every customer transaction they make.

"I have some customers who travel all the way from Fort Smith to get what they need at my shop." Oscar explains, "I am all about supporting this community because it's important to my family that we contribute in some way."

Rightfully so. Oscar is not only a business owner, but a father of two young children (3 if you include his shop dog "Huera"), and a loving husband. Raising his kids in a safe and familiar community is a priority of his, and something he strives to support every day. 

His wife Lucy is equally essential to the business, keeping the books, handling customer transactions, and being a full-time mom, too.  As we interviewed, she was tied up answering calls and fulfilling orders as Oscar told his story. 

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Kissing his wife Lucy (top left), preparing to open shop (top right), Huera shows affection (bottom).
Respect the Journey
In a moment of sober reflection, he mentioned ASAP's humble beginnings. He proudly explained that his father's tireless work and sacrifice built ASAP Tire and Towing from the ground up. His father had worked long and lonely hours, often for little profit just to remain competitive during those first crucial years of operation.

Oscar Jr. often accompanied his dad on call outs, where he learned much about the business and his father's work ethic. 

He noted that by the time he was a teenager, he was already familiar with a tool box. "I've been helping my old man my whole life in the garage or out on a call." he said, "I used to grab a small toolbox from the back of his truck and hand him tools as he worked on cars, boats, tractors, and diesel engines." 

There was some noticeable pain in Oscar's voice as he explained how the Recession of 2007 and California's anti-business climate, had contributed to his father's struggle.

"I'm from Los Angeles. Those were rough streets, like something you would see in a movie." he explained, "We eventually left and came to Clarksville in search of a better life." 
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Passing the Torch
​With gained experience from his childhood, Huero's father passed on part of the business of ASAP's Tires & Towing to his son. For the last year or so, Oscar Jr. has run the business on W Main Street with relative success. 
​
Next time you visit a local small business, be sure to thank them for their service. There is no telling how many years of work, risk, and commitment were invested in patching your tire. 
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Fairy Garden debut at Clarksville's Pocket Park

8/13/2020

Comments

 
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Jackie sits next to her creation in Clarksville, AR
​Jackie Verwiebe, our friendly city landscaper, continues to bring color and creativity to Clarksville. Now, first-time visitors to our downtown have yet another reason to fall in love with us.

Recently, she has worked alongside Clarksville's Parks and Rec employees to build a fairy house smack-dab in the middle of Pocket Park located at the corner of Rogers & Main.

While this new treasure has received much public fanfare, the story behind it is both endearing and resourceful. The outcome you see now is an attractive solution to an otherwise ugly problem.

​"This was an old Elm tree that ended up with a disease, which slowly ended up killing it.", Jackie explained.
With the care and attention that is paid to this small park currently, having a dead tree in the middle of it steals from the overall  aesthetic of the park itself.

"When I was a kid, we spent a lot of time in the woods. When we came across old stumps like this one, we would decorate it with reindeer moss and berries and other things." 

After doing some research online she discovered that she was not the only one who had an affinity for decorating stumps. People from across the country have done similar works in their gardens or public parks. (To be honest, ours is comparatively cooler than most others.)
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Jackie's Garden is a welcoming backdrop for a perfect picture.
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Much of this project was built from recycled materials!
With the heavy lifting done by a few good city employees, the old stump was prepared for a makeover. The entire project was built at little cost. Most of the materials seen adorning the old stump were extra materials from around town. Even wood from a nearby old picket fence was repurposed to fashion a roof. 

"The guys made most of it," Jackie says with a smile. "such as the little door, windows, and Brit Yount used wire baskets from the old swimming pool dating back to the 1980s and made small window boxes. Even the dirt is composted grass from 3 years ago and is very rich in nutrients for the plants."
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Jackie turned to our local businesses for help when she ran out of materials and plants to use. 
​
"Since it is so late in the season, most of the plants are from businesses around town. Blossomberry Nursery and BP Nursery & Landscape supplied most of the plants we needed" She said. "Jackie also mentioned De'ja Vu on Sherwood Plaza had some trinkets that were a perfect fit for this new garden. 

Now that it is complete, it would be a great place to read a book during a break, take a new profile picture for Facebook, or just enjoy the small slice of heaven that Jackie has created exclusively for us residents of Clarksville. 

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Clarksville, Arkansas's newest resident
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The Keebler Elves have nothing on this miniature mansion.
Comments

New Eats: Bolander's Simply Breakfast

8/6/2020

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​TED & CONNIE BOLANDER

This Dynamic Duo of Christian business owners in Downtown Clarksville have a number of ventures under their belt: window cleaning, carpet restoration, and a flea market.  

Ted is a former Nevadan, where he spent the better half of 30 years running a window cleaning business and raising a family around Reno and Las Vegas. His wife Connie, a 6th generation local Arkansan, convinced Ted to move to Clarksville and test their entrepreneurial mettle in the River Valley.

In a past life he was a sous chef. He often reminds me he always had a heart for cooking. While years past have kept him occupied on important things such as his family, he is now ready to return to his favorite hobby.
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Bolander's 'Simply Breakfast' is located at 1100 W Main St. Across from the Clarksville PD. Look for the big blue food truck!
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HOW'S THE FOOD? 
​
Ted and Connie have been up and running since last week with a steady flow of customers as word spreads around town. His menu is as simple as its name - Bolander's Simply Breakfast - Delicious breakfast-to-go with large serving sizes at surprisingly agreeable prices.

​

​
That means eggs loaded with sausage, cheese, ham, and complemented with a side of 
the best home fries I think I have ever had. They were slightly salty/smokey to taste and had a perfect cooked-through texture.

His menu also includes breakfast bowls, loaded English muffins, biscuits & gravy, and even a veggie omelet option. All is good, but one item stands out among the rest. 

His Big Breakfast Burrito is, in my mind, Ted's pièce de résistance. This massive wrap of hearty breakfast will not leave you wanting. I believe Bolander's success is going to come mainly from this on-the-go feast of a burrito. 

The best part? Many of his Goliath servings on his menu are roughly $6 (or less), including the Big Burrito. ​
​They are open Monday-Saturday 7AM-1PM (Closed Sunday), so pay them a visit!

And hey, after you place your order, check out their flea market at the same location while you wait. 
​

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Whatever the question is: "Big Breakfast Burrito" is the answer.
Comments

    Author

    Steve Houserman,
    ​Economic Development

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  • Home
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