In 1928, Andrew Maus Sr. first realized the dream of starting his own business, a business that would eventually evolve from a gas station into a five-star car dealership, A.M. Maus and Son, that has stood the test of time. Milestones Two years after A.M. Maus bought his gas station from Ida Phillips, he tried his hand at the produce business. In 1935 he added car repair to his repertoire. By 1946 A.M. Maus had added two repair stalls to his station and secured the Plymouth/DeSoto franchise. A year later he built a showroom across the street for the new cars he acquired. In 1948 he was issued the Allis Chalmers franchise. After 25 years in the business, A.M. Maus built the HiWay Standard Station on Highway 55 (where the Kimball Chiropractic Clinic now stands) and his son Andrew Maus Jr. worked along side him. In 1972, two years before A.M. died, a car wash was built onto the station on Highway 55. Since then, Ed, Cary and Steve, sons of Andy Maus Jr., have joined the company -Ed and Steve in sales and Cary in the service department. In 1995, the Chrysler Corpor-ation awarded A.M. Maus and Son a 50-year dealer award, a rare accomplishment in itself. Celebration More than 800 loyal customers, family members, guests and employees were in attendance Saturday, July 19, to honor A.M.Maus and Son and celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary, a business achievement that spans time and generations. “I think grandpa would be very proud,” said Steve Maus. Although the 75-year mark is quite an accomplishment, it is only one testament to the Maus family’s perseverance. Today there are five members of the Maus family working at the company. Andrew Maus Jr., who oversees the goings-on of the business, his sons Ed, Cary and Steve, and Cary’s daughter Tiffany. According to Steve, the 75th anniversary wasn’t just a celebration of the business, it was a celebration of all its employees. Steve Decknatel, Mickey Fischer, Joe Williams, Jim Otto, Don Gross, Rob Kuechle and Matt Weisman. The secret to the company’s success lies in customer service, Steve said. “We treat every customer like a person. We go the extra mile so everyone feels like they want to come back.” Being around for 75 years, the company and its surrounding community share a lot of the local history. One memorable experience for the business was in 1976. “That was when we moved to our current location and we got out on both highways, and more people can see us,” Steve said. Today A.M. Maus and Son provides its customers with new and used car sales and services, a 24-hour gas pump and a new super-soft touch car wash. As for the next 75 years, Steve said the company plans to continue to grow in the areas of service and sales. He offers this advice to other family-run businesses who hope to follow the Maus road map to success: “Find out what you do well, and stick with that.”
