Rick’s Service Center Honored by U-Haul for 50 Years of Partnership

A half-century of dedication, service, and community spirit was celebrated recently as U-Haul recognized Rick’s Service Center for 50 years of partnership.

Rick’s, a fixture of Blackwell business since 1971, has been renting U-Haul equipment since September of 1975, making them one of the longest-running partners in the region. This year also marks U-Haul’s 80th anniversary nationwide, a milestone made all the more meaningful by honoring longtime family-run businesses like Rick’s.

At the recognition event, U-Haul Marketing Company President Jim Smith, along with Kelly Madden, Traffic Control Manager, and Area Field Managers Chris McMeans, Rusty Hoover, Anthony Razi, Cameron Curtis, and Andy Tice, joined members of the Rick’s Service Center family: Alice Vandermeer, Lisa Kahle, Mark McRae, and Chris Johnston.

The journey of Rick’s Service Center began on January 1, 1971, when a 19-year-old Rick Vandermeer signed his first lease on a Texaco service station at the corner of Hwy 11 and I-35 in Blackwell. The business started as a two-bay garage with six full-service pumps and eventually expanded to include diesel service. Just a year later, Rick married Alice, who managed bookkeeping from a small 8-by-14 office in the back.

In 1975, Rick’s became a U-Haul rental location, beginning a partnership that would last five decades. The business grew and relocated multiple times over the years, adapting to changing circumstances — including an eminent domain claim by the state during highway expansion projects. In 2011, Rick’s moved to its current home at 302 North Main Street, where it continues to provide mechanical service, tire sales, and U-Haul rentals.

Family members and longtime employees have been central to the business’s success. Daughter Lisa Kahle went on to establish her own chiropractic practice in Blackwell, while son Eric Vandermeer worked alongside his father in mechanics before pursuing a career in ammonia refrigeration. Mark McRae, a mechanic at Rick’s, has been with the business for over 30 years, and Chris Johnston, tire and oil technician, has served customers for the past five.

Though Rick passed away in 2012 after a battle with cancer, his legacy lives on through Alice, who continues to operate Rick’s Service Center with the same dedication he was known for.

“Rick was always proud to be part of U-Haul,” Alice said. “He believed in hard work, family, and serving the community. It means a lot to see that recognized.”

For U-Haul, honoring Rick’s represents not only a long-standing business relationship, but also the enduring spirit of small-town family businesses that help shape local communities.