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Our founding father George Liskey, opened Liskey's in 1960. George worked for the Bean Corp and was by far, way
ahead of his time. George opened Liskey's to have a place to bring new cars to take measurements and document his
findings. George worked very diligently to develop a way to keep vehicles aligned to their true center. Therefore,
resulting in the cars tracking forward in a positive direction.
In 1962, Ed Carpenter, recently
graduated from Ferris State College, moved his family to the Lansing area and began working for George Liskey.
They formed a close relationship both working and personal. After a few years, Ed decided it was time to move on and
get more exposure in the automotive field. He left Liskey's and went to work for a dealership here in Lansing.
In 1972 George Liskey approached Ed and offered to sell the business to him. It was time for
both men to broaden their horizons and the transaction was made. After purchasing Liskey's, Ed didn't have
the necessary funds to rename the business. He also decided that being an established business in the Lansing area,
it would benefit him to keep the name and carry on in the specialized field that was evolving in the automotive world.
During his tenure, Ed became a fixture in the downtown area. Liskey's became even more widely known for their
abilities and specialties. Ed personally earned many accredidations. Businessman of Year as awarded by the Greater
Lansing Business Monthly, participant of the Advisory Board of Lansing Community College. Ed also served on
the Board of Directors of the Automotive Service Association of Michigan. He also participated in the Board of Directors
of the Turner Dodge House, just to name a few.
In 1993 the original Liskey's location had been bought by
the City of Lansing for its parking project and future Stadium District. Ed had already acquired Herm's Auto Body on
the East side of Larch Street as part of the Liskey experience. So the decision was made to close and renovate the body
shop and to stay downtown, thus came the slogan "I stayed downtown to serve you!". On February 28, 1994, Lansing
saw the Liskey's Tool Box Parade with then Mayor David Hollister helping move tool boxes across Larch Street to bring Liskey's
to its new home. Many other dignitaries as well as local TV stations where also on hand for the occassion.
In 2003, Ed and his son Jerry, made another transition. Jerry would take over the operations of the business and Ed
would, once again, broaden his horizons in a different direction. This time his new endeavor would be a
U-Cut Christmas Tree Farm.
Jerry was raised here in the Lansing area and would often come to the shop after
school and help his Dad and the other technicians by sweeping the floors and moving vehicles in and out of the shop.
He would take care of the lot and many other helpful things that allowed his Dad and the other technicians to keep working
on cars. Jerrys' Mom and Dad taught their children from early on that working hard would have its rewards
if you were diligent in your work ethics.
After Jerry graduated from High School, he enlisted in the Navy
and spent four years in Bremerton, Washington. During this time away from home, Ed called Jerry and asked if he was
interested in running the shop some day. After some soul searching and careful consideration he responded with
a resounding yes. After his time was up serving our country, he returned home to enroll in Lansing Community College
and begin learning the automotive trade from his father and colleagues. Both Jerry and Ed also possess degrees
from the Automotive Management Institute.
The automotive profession doesn't stop with college. There
are ever changing systems with new and updated procedures, new tooling and techniques that every technician must be aware
of. Education is a must and a must that is always continuing.
Since taking over the reins of
Liskey's, Jerry has embraced the same philosophy as his father. From customer service to public service
he always approaches a situation as if it were his own. To further that, Jerry has been on the Board of Advisor's
at Lansing Community College. This board advises the Automotive Department on various developments
in the automotive field. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Automotive Service Association
of Michigan. This organization works with the political issues of automotive repair. In 2009 Liskey's
was voted Best Repair Facility in Lansing by the readers of City Pulse, a local magazine. Jerry also served several
years on the Board of Directors of the Capitol Quarter Midget Association. This organization teaches and supports children
5-16 years of age in Auto Racing for Kids. Again, teaching and gooming young people in automotive related issues
and sportsmanship.
The motto "There Is No Substitute For Quality" came from a sign that hung over
the area that Ed worked as a young man working for George Liskey. This is not just our motto, but a way of life.
A way of life for George. A way of life for Ed. A way of life for Jerry. A way of life for everyone at Liskey's.
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