MOUNT GREENWOOD — The ever-present smell of gasoline at Southwest Lawn Mower and Snowblower in Mount Greenwood will soon be replaced by scent of wrestling mats and sweat.
Southside Knockout Training Center at 3504 W. 111th St. in Mount Greenwood is expanding, taking over the adjacent storefront that has been home to the small lawn mower and snow blower repair shop since 1964.
"I had a couple of people come in yesterday. Two men just walked in to thank me," said Larry Klug, who owns both the repair shop and the building at 3510 W. 111th St. in Mount Greenwood.
The gym that offers cardio boxing classes, boot camp workouts and youth wrestling training will nearly double in size with the expansion, said Bryan Harney, a West Beverly resident who opened his gym seven years ago.
Klug, 77, said Thursday his reason for retirement was simple — "I'm f-ing tired."
His plans for retirement are also quite basic. He'd like to make a dentist appointment at noon — a time slot that has long been unavailable due to working in the shop. He'd also like to see what it's like to have some leisure time on a Saturday morning. And he openly wondered what it would be like to go to Walgreens at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday.
"The business has been good," said Klug, a resident of southwest suburban Palos Park.
His heir apparent, Steve Breault of far south suburban Peotone, worked at the shop for nearly 40 years. Klug always thought Breault, 62, would take over the business. But Breault died suddenly around Christmas.
Without anyone in line for the business, Klug decided to lease the space to his neighbor — a collegiate wrestler who has steadily expanded his operation since opening near 111th and Kedzie in 2009.
Strangely enough, Klug said he has never been mechanically inclined. He came to own the business largely by happenstance. He was selling ads in the phone book at the time, and the owner asked him if he'd be interested in becoming a partner.
"I never considered myself a mechanic," Klug said.
Over the years, he's picked up a thing or two from working on countless lawn mowers and snowblowers. And while he still doesn't consider himself an expert, he said the industry has changed in that fewer opt to repair their lawn mowers and snow blowers nowadays.
"They wait for it to break so they can get a newer model," said Klug, who remembers fixing toasters, lamps and other household devices back in the day.
Meanwhile, Klug is selling all of his tools, parts and anything else that is left in the store. Southside Knockout's lease begins April 1, and Harney hopes to be open by April 30.
"I'm going to keep the classes the way they are. I'm just giving my clients more room to get their workouts in," he said.
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