Krohnberg Garage is a longstanding fixture of the Walters community, dating all the way back to 1977 when Lamoyne Krohnberg purchased the old Redman Garage. Above, from left to right, Brady, Stacy, and Lamoyne Krohnberg pose near the new garage, purchased in 2014. Stacy took over the business in May 2025.

Stacy Krohnberg has been working in auto repair for a very long time. In fact, he’s been working for Krohnberg Garage ever since it was purchased by his father, Lamoyne Krohnberg, all the way back in 1977.

“I was doing a lot of the typical kid jobs on the farm back then, baling hay and walking the beans, but I always found my way back to the shop,” Krohnberg recalls. “I knew I wanted to grow up to be just like my dad, so I followed in his footsteps.”

And as of May 1 of 2025, Krohnberg Garage in Walters is officially under Stacy’s ownership; run by Stacy himself, his brother Brady, and occasionally their father Lamoyne as well.

“Dad still comes to work every day, and we’ve told him he can stay as long as he wants to,” Krohnberg jokes. “I wouldn’t say that he’s retired since I took over the business – he likes to keep busy.”

Having been around since 1977, Krohnberg Garage has undergone many changes and updates over the years. The original building, which used to be a creamery, gained an add-on in 1981. Their current garage was purchased in 2014 in order to fit larger vehicles. And of course, the services which they have offered over the years have changed as well.

“We’ve done a little bit of everything over the years,” Krohnberg shares. “The old building used to have gas pumps out front, so when we first took over our business was a lot more automotive-based. I went to school for diesel truck repair thinking that was going to be the next big thing, but that never really panned out. Nowadays the tire business has really taken off, so that’s the majority of what we do.”

Along with tire replacements, Krohnberg Garage specializes in many of the standard auto care services, such as oil changes, replacing brake pads, and DOT truck inspections. And if you can’t make it to the garage for a vehicle repair, the Krohnbergs have three different trucks ready to hit the road and come to you.

“Back in the day we used to offer towing services, but we don’t do that anymore,” Krohnberg explains. “But we still take service calls, and a lot of them. Our busiest times of the year are in the spring and fall during planting and harvest season, and we’ll be working seven days a week.”

That’s not to say the Krohnbergs don’t have anything to do during the summer, though. When Stacy and Brady aren’t busy in the shop, they can both be found pursuing their other lifelong love: racing.

“Dad was the one who got us into racing, since he used to race himself back in the 1970s,” Krohnberg recalls. “I’ve been racing since ’86, Brady has 23 years of racing under his belt, and my son Andy has also joined us in the racing scene.”

Stacy estimates that he and his family participate in 6-10 enduro races every year, and several more competitions in other categories across the summer. They’ve become quite accomplished racers over the years, too, with several trophies and giant checks from their victories now decorating the walls and office of their garage.

While racing and auto repair make up a large part of Stacy’s life, he also recognizes that their business relies on the livelihood of the community – specifically, the agricultural community.

“If the farmers are doing well, then so is our business, because we do a lot of work with them,” Krohnberg shares. “We’re taking service calls all day long at this time of year. And if it’s a bad year for them, it’s a bad year for us too.”

As with all repair shops, the Krohnbergs have also had their challenges keeping up with modern technology, something which gets further complicated when you look at agricultural tech.

“Lots of companies these days offer years-long warranties on their vehicles, so by the time they get brought in to us, they’re already six to eight years old,” Krohnberg remarks. “A lot of ag equipment is second or third-hand, too, so that means we can be seeing vehicles that are even older. As soon as you hit 10 years or older, the parts you need to fix something aren’t always available anymore, and that can make it difficult for us to find what we need for some of our repair jobs.”

While Stacy intends to run Krohnberg Garage for several more years to come, he’s also prepared for the eventuality of passing on the family legacy to someone else. However, he’d be just as happy to see his kids follow their own dreams, just like his own brother Terry, who works as an accountant, did.

“I’m not sure if Andy is going to want to take over the shop when I retire,” Krohnberg admits. “He’s always wanted to be a farmer, and right now he’s living that dream. But I’ve told him that if he ever wants to come back, I’ve got a spot open for him in the shop. And if he decides this isn’t for him, then Brady will likely be the one to take over for me.”