Kevin Kuse, Kansas City’s Cottman Man, says that he still gets a kick out of solving problems to get cars up running again. When someone brings their car to Kevin for repairs, he sees it as a challenging puzzle. Even after 35 years of fixing cars and, especially, complex transmissions, he gets a thrill when he returns a car to a customer and says, “It’s fixed and running like new.”

Kevin has been fixing cars most of his career and since January 2007, he has been the owner at the Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care Center located at 8401 Wornall Road, in Kansas City.

Lifetime Of Fixing Cars

Kevin wasn’t a “car guy” when he was younger. In high school, he thought he might be interested in graphics, architecture or cars. He chose cars and went to Pittsburgh State University in Kansas to study automotive technology. From school, he went to work for an auto dealer for a year before joining the local Cottman Center. At Cottman, he started as an “R & R man,” removing and replacing transmissions. Within one year, his boss sent him to Cottman’s management training program. From there, he became the center’s foreman and eventually the manager.

“I’m proud of the reputation that I have earned for my center within the community,” Kevin noted. “It feels good to receive referrals from satisfied customers. Many repair shops in the area send their transmission work to us. The transmission is the most complex part of the vehicle and they know we can do it right.”

Approximately five years ago, Kevin became a car enthusiast, when his wife, Shawn, fell in love with a 1998 white Corvette convertible. “It’s my wife’s car,” Kevin said, “but it’s my toy.” His wife is afraid to drive it, for fear of getting it dirty or, worse yet, scratched, so he ends up driving her around in the ‘Vette. He’s also thinking of entering it in area car shows, just for fun.

When he’s not at his Cottman Center or driving his wife around in her Corvette, Kevin, might be found at the bowling alley. He said that he’s bowled four 300 games and his highest average is 223.

Transmission Technician In Kansas City

Cottman of Kansas City can be reached at www.CottmanofKansasCity.com.