Small Battle Creek Business May Be Forced to Close After 15 Years

A global shortage may force a small Battle Creek business to permanently close.

Get our free mobile app

By now many of us have heard of the vehicle chip or superconductor shortage. The shortage has forced car manufacturers to lay employees off and caused a shortage of new vehicles through most of 2021.

What many of us never think of when we hear of a global shortage like this is the trickle-down effect that impacts small businesses.

Bo Mcliechey is a lifelong Battle Creek resident. He graduated from Battle Creek Central and opened his own small business in his hometown. Now everything he has worked so hard for may soon be gone through no fault of his own.

Bo says the trouble started when COVID-19 restrictions went into effect in 2020. With so few people hitting the road, there wasn't much use for vehicles to be professionally detailed. Bo also does bodywork and minor repairs at Bo's Car Care, located at 232 Lafayette Avenue in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Bo tells us the global semiconductor/vehicle chip shortage has been one of the biggest culprits for the struggles his business has faced. He says he had multiple accounts with local vehicle dealerships that have been canceled because there are not enough new vehicles coming into the dealerships. The reason for the lack of new vehicles is the global shortage.

In September, a lonely field of brand new trucks sat for months due to a lack of those semiconductors. Automotive factories shut down for weeks at a time due to the chip shortage and plethora of new vehicles waiting for those chips.

Bo recently posted an emotional message to social media and noted times have never been this tough for his business and that it's getting harder every day. He says he bought a snowplow to try and pick up more work, but a lack of snow has made that a fruitless effort to date.

If your vehicle could use a good detailing, you have minor damage or repairs that need to be made, or if you are looking for snow plow service, give Bo's Care Care a call at 269-282-4260. You just might save a local small business.