An automotive dealership that has been in Rice Lake for more than 60 years changed ownership this summer with the longtime Southlake Motors now Link Motors.
The acquisition is the fourth for Link Motors, which began as Link Ford of Minong. It later added Link Ford of Rice Lake, expanded with Link RV Center of Minong and now is the new driver of Link Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram of Rice Lake.
Both family-owned automotive businesses have been around for a long time.
Link is a family-owned dealership that has been in business since 1946. As its website notes, “Being in business for that long doesn’t just happen. It takes dedication to our customers, our community, our staff and our principles who are our families, friends and neighbors.”
Southlake’s history also began in 1946, when Walt Hajdasz returned from serving in World War II to his hometown of Exeland and opened what was called the Exeland Garage. In 1962 he expanded the business to Rice Lake at a site right across from the bowling alley on Main Street. It was called Southlake Dodge.
His son Al attended most of his school years in Rusk County but graduated from Rice Lake High School in 1964 and joined the business after serving in the military as did his father. With Walt as president, Al became vice president, and his brother Wayne also worked in the business as parts manager.
In 1967, the dealership added Chrysler and Plymouth to its Dodge inventory, and changed the name to Southlake Motors.
Ten years after moving his business to Rice Lake, Walt bought a junkyard from the Resnick family in 1972 that was on the edge of town, where he built a new automotive center. That site, at the intersection of Main and South streets, is no longer at the edge of town but at one of the busiest intersections in town. Its grand opening at that site was in 1974, 50 years ago.
In 2000, Al sold the dealership to his son-in-law Aaron Resnick, grandson of the man from whom the Hajdasz family had bought the property.
Now, nearly a quarter century later, the Hajdasz/Resnick family business has been bought by the Link family business.
Like the Hajdasz family, who bought property on what was then the edge of the city 52 years ago, Link built an automotive center out by the freeway 25 years ago. It is another area of Rice Lake that has stretched out with a growth of businesses in a quarter century.
Link Motors Chief Operating Officer John Sedlak said there are 150 employees across all of its Link sites, including the 24 employees at its newly acquired site. He said they are there to help all who stop by with their automotive needs during regular weekday hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or at other times by appointment.
As one long-trusted business takes over another, steering it into the future, Link Motors’ motto of “Where Reputation is Everything,” remains as true as ever.
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