Longtime Clinton Auto Shop Changes Hands, Continues Serving Island

Matt’s Import Haven, a mainstay of Clinton for nearly four decades, formally changed hands on December 5, 2025 when owners Matt and Vicky Hassrick passed the business to Forrest and Kathy Wendt. The transaction keeps the shop name and the existing team in place, ensuring immediate continuity of service for island drivers who rely on the longtime employer for maintenance and repairs.

The business began as a specialty shop focused on imported cars and progressively expanded its work to cover a broad range of vehicles. Over the years the shop added services for domestic makes and modern technologies including electric vehicles. That evolution reflects larger shifts in the vehicle fleet on Whidbey Island and the broader region, where demand for EV servicing has been growing alongside traditional repair work.

Local realities shaped the decision to keep operations steady during the transfer. Parts lead times and supply chain delays have affected island repair shops, requiring managers to plan inventory and appointment schedules more carefully than shops on the mainland. The Hassricks and their staff adapted during the COVID period by adjusting service practices and workflow to cope with parts scarcity and changing customer needs. Those adaptations, combined with the Hassricks decision to retire, informed the structured handoff to the Wendts so customers would not face abrupt changes.

For Clinton residents and Island County drivers the sale means preserved access to a familiar service provider and continued local employment. Keeping the existing staff intact reduces disruption for regular customers, and the Wendts have signaled they will maintain the same range of services. That continuity helps sustain the local automotive service network that island households and small businesses depend on for commuting and operations.

As the automotive market continues to change, particularly with the rise of electric vehicles and ongoing supply chain variability, the preserved institutional knowledge at Matt’s Import Haven positions the shop to meet island needs while keeping local dollars circulating in the community.