The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Judging from the traffic through 3 Sisters Automotive Service Center last week, there is quite a bit of pent-up demand for the services Jorge Solorzano offers at the new operation.

The new automotive business (unrelated to an outfit of similar name that is now closed) opened on August 1, offering a range of services like oil changes, brake work, tune-ups, changes of air and cabin filters, replacement of belts, and battery changes.

“Basically in-and-out services, you know,” says Solorzano.

Solorzano retired from a career in law enforcement in 2015, and he and his partner, Lyn Beam, looked around the country for a new place to settle.

“We retired here in Sisters,” he said. “We bought a lot and we built a house.”

Solorzano didn’t want to simply sit still in retirement; service is in his blood. So he decided to open a shop that would fill a need.

“I figured, ‘I’ll open a shop, help the community, help people not have to drive to Bend or Redmond for a simple oil change,’” he said. “That’s my purpose here: to serve the community. There’s a big need for in-and-out jobs.”

It took two years to find the right location. When the shop space at 312 W. Barclay Dr. (across from Sisters Rental) became available, he jumped on it. He’s completely renovated the site, and brought it up to his exacting standards for cleanliness and orderliness.

“I like my shop to be clean, my lobby to be clean,” he said.

Solorzano brings to his new business a work ethic that has served him well his whole life, an ethic instilled by his father: work hard and it will pay off, and earn an honest dollar.

His father was the chief engineer for PG&E in Central America. His Spanish mother and Italian father settled in Nicaragua, where Jorge was born.

“When I was 14, I came to this country,” he recalled. “I barely, barely spoke English.”

His dream was to become a fighter pilot, but less-than-100-percent-perfect vision derailed that plan. His family was adamant about education, so he pursued and earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Davis. But it turned out that he did not like being confined behind the desk, so after a year he left the engineering field to pursue his other dream. He became a police officer.

It was a career he loved.

Now he’s on to a second career, still focused on earning an honest dollar, while serving the community he calls home.

3 Sisters Automotive Center is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stop by or call for an appointment at 541-904-4322.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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