BUSINESS NEWS
Coast River Business Journal
April 2021 • 13
Changing hands
After 35 years, Mestriches hand off Clatsop Power Equipment
Story & Photo by Edward Stratton
Coast River Business Journal
estratton@crbizjournal.com
Fred Mestrich spent more than 18 years teach-
ing youths about small engine repair at a voca-
tional campus on Youngs River Road outside Asto-
ria before a round of layoffs had him looking for a
new line of work.
He and his wife, Ann Mestrich, who worked
as a bank teller, looked down the street at a for-
mer wrecking yard and feed store. In 1986, they
opened Clatsop Power Equipment, repairing and
selling the area’s home machinery. Over the next
35 years, the store became a preferred local dealer
for brands like John Deere and Snapper.
The Mestriches retired this month, pass-
ing the store and their staff off to the owners of
Clark County Lawn and Tractor in Vancouver,
Washington.
“We were ready for retirement, and John Deere
wouldn’t let us just sell on the open market,” Fred
Mestrich said. “We had to sell to another John
Deere dealer. We couldn’t even turn it over to our
sons.”
The Mestriches connected with the own-
ers of the Vancouver store, whose general man-
ager Kevin Williquette said they were looking to
expand beyond the one location. They are renam-
ing the Astoria location Clatsop County Lawn and
Tractor but keeping the same staff and a similar
operation.
“The opportunities for us to expand are pretty
minimal, as the bigger corporations are buying up
a lot of these dealerships,” Williquette said.
Prior to the sale, the owners had wanted to add
another location in Clark County, Williquette said,
but John Deere wanted them to go a different direc-
tion. The timing worked out with the retirement of
the Mestriches, who needed a buyer John Deere
would sign off on.
Running a business wasn’t completely new to
the Mestriches, whose family had run Chris’ News
on 14th and Commercial streets in Astoria. Their
two sons, Bryan and Gregg Mestrich, worked
for Clatsop Power Equipment since they were
teenagers.
Bryan Mestrich will stay on with Clatsop
County Lawn and Tractor. Fred Mestrich said he
would fill in from time to time as needed and that
he is also helping Gregg Mestrich start a company
to take on the store’s former boat motor repair
business.
Aside from teaching and running a business,
Fred Mestrich retired from Lewis and Clark Fire
& Rescue in 2012 after 36 years of service. He still
serves on the fire district’s board. A member of the
Lower Columbia Classics Auto Club, he is most
looking forward to having more time to work on
his cars.
“Right now I’m doing a ’56 Chevy two-door
station wagon,” he said. “The next one’s going
to be a ’56 four-door hardtop. And I’ve got a few
Model As. (Ann) has got a ’63 (Mercury) Comet
convertible.”
Asked about her plans, Ann Mestrich said she’d
miss all the customers from over the years but has
a long list of home projects and books to finish
now that the couple isn’t spending six days a week
running the business.
“Nice days, they’ll probably see us out driving
a car,” she said.
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Fred and Ann Mestrich ended their 35-year run as owners of Clatsop Power Equipment this month, selling the
store to the owners of Clark County Lawn and Tractor in Vancouver, Washington.
Please return by April 30, 2021 to:
CRBJ Survey, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103