Having just graduated college and seeing my first son born, I found myself a bit lost with what to do next. Since I was a child my dad and I have repaired things together, like he and my grandfather before me. After several years of Port Townsend being without a significant small engine repair shop, an idea that my dad had ever since I was a kid finally made good business sense. I went to my Dad in the summer of 2019 and said "It's time we start seriously thinking about opening a small engine repair shop." He was thrilled, and ready to get his hands dirty.

 

The production, development, and shipment of new material goods is by far one of the greatest contributors to global climate change. When a new machine is purchased, whether it be electric or combustion based, embedded in that product is a tremendous amount of energy that has been expended to create, ship, market, and sell it. When that product is thrown away, it is replaced by yet another item, and on and on it goes. Maintaining any equipment, whether it uses electric or fossil fuels, is of great importance to a global society working to create a healthier and more sustainable future. The sad news is, less and less people are able to fix things or even interested in having items fixed. This helps feed an even greater interest and necessity for more and more products, that are of less and less quality. "If it breaks, I can just replace it!" That attitude is a part of an insatiable desire for more in our culture. So, this is where Papa steps in! 

 

The goal of Papas' Small Engine Repair is to create community around fixing and maintaining things that have small engines, whether combustion based or not. For the time being, we're stuck with these smokey inefficient contraptions. But you know what? A properly tuned and maintained engine will consume less oil and fuel in it's lifetime, and will last many times longer than if it is neglected. Neglected equipment is the top reason why engines fail prematurely, and many people neglect their equipment because there is a general lack of knowledge and education available about proper engine maintenance. Papa's is here to lead the way towards a culture that values and takes care of what it has, relying less on the need for more. Please join my father and I in our vision of a more self-sufficient and sustainable community.