Quality x 2.

• Author: Cottrell, Shon
• Position: Gene's Chrysler - Company Profile

If there is a company that epitomizes the phrase "Alaskan owned and operated it would have to be Genes Chrysler of Fairbanks. Although a newcomer to this year's 49ers list, the provision of quality service and customer satisfaction is nothing new at Gene's. In fact, this assurance of satisfaction and quality has been the mainstay of Gene's for over 50 years now.

Gene's Chrysler was started as Gene's Auto Service in 1945 by Gene and Bridie Immel and Al and Laurene Slemsek. The business included a Studebaker car and truck dealership, a Standard Oil gas station, and an Aero boat and Mercury Outboard Motor dealership.

They started the small business in a rented building near downtown Fairbanks on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Wickersham. Their business grew quickly so they decided to purchase the building and expand it to include the whole end of the block. As the 50s came, the group decided to add Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz to their list and by 1958 had opened a full-service gas station on the corner of 2nd and Barnette, not to mention the addition of Land Rover to their growing line of vehicles.

John and Jim Immel are the twin sons of Gene and Bridie and now manage Gene's Chrysler.

"Gene was a mechanic and firmly believed that good service was the backbone to a car dealership," Jim said.

In 1959 Gone and Bridie became full owners, but by 1965 Studebaker had quit making cars so they decided to sell Volkswagen and Mercedes and purchase a Chrysler Plymouth and Dodge dealership in 1966. The anniversary of their first year in business at 18th and Cushman was the disastrous flood of 1967. Jim Immel remembers the good and the bad.

"The Fairbanks economy has its ups and downs, but Gene's loyal customers, local vendors and employees always helped during these times," Jim said.

Gene's saw an upswing in the 70s with the pipeline and opened an additional building across the street. Gene and Bridle then retired in the late 70s which put. John Immel in the driver's seat as president of Gene's.

"We actually started working for dad when we were 13," John said.

John and...