Wahl-McAtee moving to prime Highway 4 location

By DOUGLAS BURNS
d.burns@carrollspaper.com

One of Jefferson’s legacy businesses is making a future-minded move to a more high-profile location.

Wahl-McAtee Tire & Service Center, with roots here dating to 1966, is headed to a 2.35-acre tract in the Greene County Development Corporation’s business park west of Highway 4 just south of Jefferson Family Dentistry, 301 American Avenue. The new Wahl-McAtee will replace the long-standing McAtee Tire Service, 412 W. McKinley St.

“It’s lots of change as far as curbside appeal,” said Mike Wahl, the general manager and co-owner.

The Goodyear tire operation plans to break ground on the 7,500 square-foot building in September with an eye toward a winter opening, Wahl said.

Wahl and his wife, Miranda, on July 1, 2016 purchased Jefferson’s McAtee from Mike Wahl’s grandparents, Dean and Lois McAtee.

Mike Wahl, 29, said the new location will allow the family business to improve customer service and develop stronger commercial and ag customer bases. Wahl-McAtee will continue to provide tire, auto, mechanical and ag services.

The new location will allow for the complete indoor housing of semi trucks needing maintenance.

Wahl also cited the age of the building and the challenges with access as a result of the Highway 4 overpass opening in the fall of 2012.

“Over-the-road guys don’t want to come over here,” Wahl said. “We started losing a little over here.”

The Wahls plan to use as many local businesses as possible with the development, starting with the hiring of Greg Carey’s JMJ Construction of Churdan as the general contractor.

“We are trying to use mostly local people,” Mike Wahl said. “That’s one thing I stressed.”

Wahl-McAtee employs seven people. And they are involved in the community, Mike Wahl said.

“Every employee here is involved in some kind of board or committee,” Wahl said.

That goes triple for the Jefferson Fire Department.

Three Wahl-McAtee employees are members of the department — Mike Wahl, Justin Lamaak and Robert Hadley.

The Greene County Development Corporation last week indicated support for the transfer of the land from its business park to the Wahls.

“We’re very happy and thrilled it’s going to be on a location we’re working to develop and have been working to develop for decades,” said Sid Jones, president of the GCDC.

Jones said Wahl-McAtee will fit nicely with the dental clinic. The two businesses will be separated by a 1-acre lot.

Jefferson City Council members Tuesday night favorably discussed tax increment financing to move the project along.

Mike Wahl grew up in Rockwell City where his family operates the Wahl-McAtee. Miranda was raised in Spirit Lake. The couple met at the University of Northern Iowa.

Now living in Jefferson the Wahls have two children, Makenzie, 6, and Maxton, 4.

The Wahl and McAtee families have businesses in Jefferson, Rockwell City, Marshalltown and Atlantic.

Dean and Lois McAtee will maintain ownership of the current location. There is no word at this point on that building’s future.