Snowstorm Means Big Business For Elmhurst Shop

Another snowblower was rolling out the door at Nick's Power Equipment, 446 N. York St., on Thursday afternoon.

After the third largest snowstorm in Chicago's history dumped more than 20 inches of the white stuff in the city and surrounding suburbs, homeowners with snowblower issues were calling Nick Clemente, the shop's owner.

Nick and his wife, Maureen, have been Elmhurst residents since 1998. Last September, they moved their store from Franklin Park to its current location on North York. Nick has been repairing snowblowers and other yard equipment since he was a student at Gordon Technical High School.

"I began doing this in my high school job program in the 1970s," he said Thursday, in between answering phone calls and servicing customers.

"Business in December was great, but a little down in January because of the holidays and we had no snow," he said. "We've been getting a lot of phone calls because people can't get out of their house to get over here."

"People are shocked we are open," Maureen said. "A lot of people are walking their snowblowers over from their neighborhood."

When not fixing or selling snowblowers the shop will work on lawnmowers, chain saws, chippers, generators, tractors and just about any piece of garden equipment you can think of.

Doris Ledo of Westchester was picking up her snowblower after dropping it off for service the day before.

"It wouldn't start, but it is fixed now," she said.

"It just needed a tune-up," said Mike Raimondi, a friend of Nick, who was helping load Ledo's snowblower into her car. "At the end of the season be sure to run it dry and use premium gasoline. It has a longer shelf life than regular and can last up to 90 days."

Running a snowblower until the gas runs out is one of the easiest things an owner can do to avoid repair. Nick also says bigger doesn't necessarily mean better as newer, smaller snowblowers can handle twice the workload of some older, larger models.

"When you bring your lawnmower out in the spring you should run out the snowblower," Nick said. "I have one customer who always forgets and every year she comes in here and I have to give her a hard time."

Two of the shop's most valued employees are Boots and June, Nick and Maureen's cats, who patrol the store for any mice that may have nested inside the snowblowers brought in by customers.

"The mice will get up in there and eat at the wires," Nick said. "We've also had people get frozen newspapers, brick pavers, pieces of pipe and even a dog leash caught in the blades. Fortunately the dog wasn't on it at the time."

Patrick King of Franklin Park was helping son-in-law and neighbor, Anthony Corkran, bring in a used snowblower and purchase a new Toro 210E.

"They're good, and I've had no problems," King said. "I bought an old snowblower from the old store and it still works. It never disappoints."

"I got a great machine and it's a great shop," Corkran said. "What more can you ask for?"

The shop can be reached at (630) 279-0525.