Larry Kraus, a long-time local resident and former owner of the Hudson Valley Auto & Tire Center in Walden, sold his business to new owners Husnain and Saba Hussain in late August after 36 years of providing local residents with auto care services.

Kraus got his start in the industry as a teenager after he learned how to repair his car, leading him to work for several auto shops before starting his own.

“When I was a teenager, my vehicle broke down, and I didn’t have a lot of money at the time. And I said ‘Okay, I gotta figure out how to fix it.’ So that’s what I did, I learned that way. And then I finally got a job in a repair shop and I went on from there,” Kraus said.

In 1987, when he was around 32 years old, Kraus started Hudson Valley Auto & Tire in his garage and expanded it to a commercial property six months later. He went on to serve the community and its cars, striving to give customers quality service and treatment.

“I felt accomplishment trying to look into fixing it, repairing it, and doing it fairly…I treated people fairly like I wanted to be treated when I go out and asked for service,” Kraus explained.

Some of Kraus’ biggest hurdles in his field were learning to repair newer car models, especially European models, adjusting to new processes like fuel injection and getting through overwhelming work days on his own. Despite these, Kraus enjoyed the challenge and took on any repair so long as he gave himself the time and information.

“Sometimes working on a vehicle can be frustrating because as the new vehicles came through, it was tighter and tighter, and not much room. When that happens, I have to walk away, catch myself and go back with a clear mind,” Kraus said. “You can be the best person at your job and you’re still going to have challenges. It’s just figuring out a way to overcome them,” he continued.

Kraus’ fondest memories are his interactions with residents extending their gratitude for his work, whether they stopped by to give thanks or even took him out to dinner.

“There’s been a lot, and a lot of clients became friends over 36 years. I have one client who has been with me from the beginning, 36 years, and he came down. His wife came down and she wanted to hug me, and I was all sweaty. I said ‘Arlene, I’m all sweaty’ and she said ‘I don’t care! I don’t care!” he recounted.

Currently living in Long Island, the former Walden Village Trustee isn’t sure what he’s doing next but is excited for the next part of his life. He’s looking forward to boating with friends and wants to get back into swing dancing, a pastime he picked up in 2015 that gave him the opportunity to travel around the world.

“That was the best thing ever for me…I went to an event in Mexico, the first time leaving the States, and I met so many people from all over the world. And I traveled to Europe and Switzerland, Germany, and I got friends all over the place. It’s nuts, swing dance is the thing,” Kraus said.