Honest-1 brings green car care to Eagan
Auto shop with eco-friendly focus boasts spacious lobbies with leather chairs, cappuccino, free Internet
Honest-1 Auto Care, which recently opened its doors in Eagan, focuses on eco-friendly practices such as pollution prevention, recycling, and resource conservation. Photo by Erin John
by Erin Johnson
Thisweek Newspapers
Honest-1 Auto Care, which bills itself as the nation’s only eco-friendly auto care chain, now has a location in Eagan at the corner of Highway 3 and Diffley Road.
The Honest-1 chain focuses on eco-friendly practices in four areas: pollution prevention, recycling, resource conservation, and customer promotions on eco-friendly services.
The company has its own line of eco-friendly products, called Eco 360, which were specifically formulated to improve fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions.
Each shop recycles its used oil – which is made into new oil specifically for vehicles – as well as all of their filters. They also prohibit the use of aerosols, carefully manage waste, practice eco-friendly landscaping and use energy-efficient lighting.
The company has also committed to planting a tree for every customer who purchases a service in the next year.
Beyond the green features, Honest-1 auto shops focus on the comfort of their customers: Each boasts a spacious lobby with leather chairs, cappuccino machines, children’s play areas and free Internet.
The Eagan location is one of only three in the metro area; the others are located in Cottage Grove and Roseville.
Owner Matt Sederstrom is no stranger to green businesses. As the employee of a heavy industrial contractor for the past nine years, Sederstrom has helped build fuel ethanol plants and wind farms.
He believes there is more of an effort and interest in being eco-friendly nationwide these days, and he thinks it will continue to go that way.
“I think (Honest-1) has got the right focus right now. I think it’s looking at the bigger picture. That’s what being green comes down to,” he said.
It doesn’t cost any more to be green, he said.
“We’re doing it because we’re making it a mission. At Honest-1, it’s not an option not to do it,” he said.
Sederstrom currently employs a staff of five, including store manager Rob McKenna, marketing/operations support Hunter Fennell, lead technician Josh Royce, and technicians Chris LeClaire and Joe DeRosier.
He credits his staff, and their ability to work well as a team, with the early success he’s seen so far.
“They are truly interested in the success of the business and are all very dedicated,” he said.
The shop offers free pick-up and delivery and a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty, which Sederstrom said is the longest warranty on parts and services in the area.
Sederstrom said his shop, which does everything short of collision repair, offers very competitive rates, and there are a variety of specials and incentives available for first-time customers.
“Give us a try,” he said. “Once you come in, I think you’ll see why people keep coming back.”
Erin Johnson is at eagan.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.
