Business Connections for Spring 2018

SPRING 2018 7 // Business Connections Been Here, Never Left “I’ve never had the desire to leave. Not even once,” Kramer says. He’s clearly dedicated to this tightknit community, as evidenced by the ways he gives back to it. For example, Kramer has been a part of the popular Baileyville Benefit Tournament for years, which has always been near and dear to his heart. This year the event raised a record-breaking amount of funds to give to individuals in need of financial assistance in the Nemaha County community and surrounding areas. He also served for 30 years on the Seneca Fire Department (now retired), and for decades has been active with Knights of Columbus, the local bowl- ing association, and numerous benefits helping families in need. Kramer has worked for Mr. Tire in Seneca for 39 years and is now Service Center Manager. He describes his primary job responsibility as “making sure things run smoothly,” but he also does inventory, interacts with customers, and helps with oil and tire changes as well as other Mr. Tire services. “We really strive to provide excellent customer service at Mr. Tire. That’s our main thing. We have a nice waiting room with comfort- able seating, a TV and reading materials, plus coffee and snacks. Customers always get a friendly greeting when they arrive. We do tons of oil changes—more than anyone else in town. We also check the air pressure on tires to make sure customers can drive safely when they leave,” notes Kramer. Do you have any advice for young people in the community? Kramer replies, “I worked hard to get where I am today, and this community helped me get there. There are always good jobs that young people can have, and not every job in Seneca requires a college degree. Staying with the same employer can help you build retirement funds, and retirement comes around quicker than a person thinks. I also recommend young people get involved in the community and reap the benefits.” Normally this page features “Returning to Your Roots” articles about people whose career paths brought them back to their hometowns. In this issue, we instead showcase someone who stayed close to home—Clete Kramer, Service Center Manager at Mr. Tire. Clete Kramer