Harchelroad Motors sold to Wolf Auto

    Family ownership of one of Chase County’s oldest businesses came to an end Monday with Harchelroad Motors of Imperial and Wauneta selling to Mike and Denise Petko of Wolf Auto Group.
    Petko co-owns car dealerships with his father-in-law, Dave Wolf. Among them are Wolf Auto Ogallala, where Petko has partnered in business with Dave for six years and lived full time for two years.
    Wolf Auto Group includes dealerships in Kimball, Scottsbluff and Ogallala. Now, Imperial and Wauneta will join the towns flying the Wolf Auto flag.
    Petkos and Michelle Harchelroad, majority owner of Harchelroad Motors, signed the papers Tuesday, transferring ownership of the car dealerships to Petko and Wolf Auto.
    In Harchelroad Motors, Wolf Auto gets an 80-year-old, four generation family business that Harvey Harchelroad started as a six-person shop.
    In 1952, after the death ofHarvey, his son, Gene, took over the daily operations. After 50 years of operation, Gene passed the daily management of Harchelroad Motors over to his sons, Sid and Brian. The pair ran the dealership until Sid’s death in 2018 and Brian’s passing in 2019.
    Prior to the sale, the Harchelroad family and team members oversaw daily operations at Imperial and Wauneta.
    In 1991, Sid opened the Imperial dealership and the fourth generation of Harchelroads joined the business when Sid’s son, Dillon, came on board.
    The original six-person shop has grown to 32 employees between the two full-service Chevrolet, Buick and Callaway (Corvette) dealerships, a collision and restoration center, and the agriculture equipment centers.
    It was business as usual Wednesday morning. The business will continue to operate under the Harchelroad Motors name until General Motors completes transfer of the Chevrolet and Buick franchise to Petko and Wolf Auto. Petko said that could take nine to 12 months.
    Harchelroad said the family will retain ownership of the collision and restoration center in Imperial, the agriculture equipment centers and their building in Wauneta.
    She said their employees, customers and communities were top priorities when the search began for someone to buy Harchelroad Motors.
    “Mike, Denise and Dave are great people,” she said. “They know that this has been a difficult decision and I only have high praise for how they have walked this process with me.”
    “I believe Mike is the right person to lead Harchelroad Motors into the future. Mike’s leadership skills will serve Harchelroad Motors well, and he does understand how important employees, customers and small communities are,” she said.
    She added she’d be remiss not to recognize Harvey, Gene, Sid, Brian and Dillon for building and making Harchelroad Motors the successful operation is has been for the last 80 years.
History not lost on Petko
    The hard work, dedication and commitment to community that inspired Harvey Harchelroad to build what is considered to be one of the most iconic car dealerships in southwest Nebraska isn’t lost on Petko.
    And, as Petko takes the reins to Harchelroad Motors, he isn’t underestimating his responsibilities to the Harchelroads, their employees and the communities the company has served for the past 80 years.
    It is a commitment Petko and Wolf Auto are ready to accept.
    “When we talk acquisition, we have to make sure we fit the community and the community is a fit for us,” Petko said. “The Harchelroad Motors acquisition was as perfect of a fit as we’ve ever had.
    “We are impressed with the business and its employees. They both have made huge commitments to the Chase County community,” Petko said.
    “We are going to take an active role that will go deep into the community. Like our motto says, ‘We are Small Town Strong,’” he added.
    Business transactions of this magnitude, especially in rural communities, are never easy, but Petko said they are extremely eager for this opportunity to continue a legacy the Harchelroad family began.
    “I know what this company has meant to Imperial, Wauneta and southwest Nebraska,” Petko said. “The automobile business is changing and we are always going to try to move forward. We are here to try and help Harchelroad Motors, Chase County and Imperial win.
    “We are impressed with the employees and the commitment they have made to the community and we are excited to welcome this business into the Wolf Auto family,” Petko said.
Petko, Wolf Auto
    Petko has experienced business and private life in both urban and rural settings.
    The California native was recruited by the Nebraska Cornhuskers as a linebacker out of Orange County and played for the Huskers from 1988-92. He then played a professional season for the New England Patriots.
    Recruited by Tom Osborne and George Darlington, Petko’s choice of Nebraska as an 18-year-old high school senior would bring lifelong ramifications.
    As a student-athlete on the Lincoln campus, he met and eventually married Dave Wolf’s daughter, Denise. Married 31 years now, the couple has three grown children and one grandchild
    After his football career and following 25 years in the corporate world, Mike and Denise decided it was time to “slow down” and enjoy “The Good Life” that the Husker state offered.
     The couple bought some land, putting roots down at Scottsbluff, and joined Dave Wolf in the family auto business there.
    While much of Petko’s energy is devoted to the dealerships he is involved with, he always has time to help make those communities better.
    “Nebraska communities prosper when its residents and local businesses stay local,” Petko said. “I’d like to think we’ve stood behind that philosophy and we certainly know the Harchelroad family has. Community involvement is a critical piece of our business model and we intend to carry that promise forward in Chase County.”