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Kessel’s Conoco Station in Fairfield to receive Legacy Award
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FAIRFIELD – Kessel’s Conoco Station at the corner of West Burlington and South Fourth in Fairfield has been owned by the same family for 79 years.
Today, the business is owned by Steve Kessel, the third generation of Kessels to own the gas station and auto repair shop. The Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce will recognize this extraordinary longevity by presenting Steve with the Legacy Award during the chamber’s annual awards banquet on April 24.
The Kessel family purchased the Conoco station on West Burlington in 1946. It was a joint venture between Steve’s father George and his grandfather Clarence after George returned from serving in World War II. Clarence had run gas stations before, and George specialized in automotive work in the military, working on big trucks.
Those early days at Kessel’s Conoco were a bit different from today. Steve said engines were simpler back then, so they did more extensive engine overhauls. Not only that, but gas stations of that era were full-service, meaning an employee pumped your gas, washed your windows and checked the air pressure in your tires.
Steve began working for the business when he was in high school in the late 1970s. That was in addition to his job at the Handy Pantry grocery store.
“My dad said I could work there, but I had to work here [gas station] every Saturday and Sunday morning with him,” he said.
Steve and his brothers worked at the business at one time or another. After high school, Steve went to St. Ambrose University in Davenport where he studied accounting and business administration. He came back to Fairfield to work for his dad, and after five years purchased the business from him in 1990. George remained at the business, working for Steve for four years until his passing in 1994 at the age of 69.
Today, Steve said he stays busy working on brakes, oil changes, tires, dashes and more. He mentioned that overhauling engines has become too labor intensive, and said they can take 10-15 hours.
“I’m lucky if I don’t get interrupted every 15 minutes,” he said, explaining why he’s no longer interested in those projects.
Kent Worley is the business’s only fulltime employee apart from Steve, and he’s worked there for 27 years.
Steve said he is gratified to learn that Kessel’s Conoco will be honored with the Legacy Award later this month from the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Kessel’s Conoco has been here 79 years, at the same corner,” he said.
The legacy of the Kessel family working at the gas station actually goes beyond three generations. Steve’s nephew Alex Kessel worked at the business in high school, making him the fourth generation of Kessels to work there, and now Steve’s great-nephew Benjamin Hunter is also working for the business in high school, making him the fifth generation.
Steve said the most challenging part of his job is dealing with regulations on gasoline, and the most rewarding part of his job is getting to visit with customers.
“I like trying to figure out if I can help them make better decisions, or when they say, ‘How do you work this thing on my dash?’” he said.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
