MotoProz is well known for their wide selection of new and used Arctic Cat Power Sport Machines such as ATV’s, UTV’s and Snowmobiles as well as fulfilling an important need within this amiable rural community. MotoProz offers an array of services such as the sales and servicing of chainsaws including sharpening or replacing the chains themselves, a selection of shop vacuum cleaners, trimmers, and battery operated mowers; all of which can be serviced right at the shop. Let’s also not forget to mention their exceptional customer service as I watched the staff greet friends and customers alike. I had the opportunity to exchange pleasantries with a few patrons who had stopped in with various requests for Mike and his team. Mike is definitely what you would consider a Jack-of-all-Trades; a local patron who had so graciously shared a story with me while I was there about a time when Mike actually cut a wedding band right off a finger due to his friend having been stung by a bee in his hand causing his entire hand to swell double in size. Using his quick wit and pure precision Mike was able to get the wedding band removed successfully without causing further injury. What was previously known as L&R Services when Kelly Larson and Louie Richardson of Mazeppa first established the business in April of 1959 until 1974 when Kelly bought Louie out and changed the name to Kelly’s Sales & Service, in 1997 Kelly then sold the business to Danny Anderson. The business name was later changed to MotoProz by Mike & Missy Papenfus of Zumbro Falls, MN on April 2, 2007 after purchasing the business from Danny Anderson and is the second oldest Arctic Cat Dealership in Minnesota. The name MotoProz was thought up by Mike, Missy and Monty as they were coming up with business names earlyon they knew they wanted to use their initials M. P. in some way as the whole family share these same initials. Monty was only in Pre-K when MotoProz was first purchased by Mike and Missy and since then the two have made several upgrades to their building in the last 17 years of ownership. Missy says the first upgrade had to be the front door as the original door was so thin it could hardly be considered an exterior door at all. Missy knew just how to confirm when the new door had been installed as that same year Monty was starting Kindergarten and she had started taking his first day of school picture in front of the new door every year since then till Monty’s graduation in 2020. A few years later the new windows were replaced for energy efficiency. MotoProz recently underwent a full face-lift to the exterior of the building in 2020 and Mike and Missy could not be happier with the results. Mike is full of valuable information on all sorts of topics and is always up for a challenge when asked, his immense knowledge and expertise regarding the machines he stands behind and services in-house shows just how passionate he is for what he does. Mike has over 26 years of hands-on experience in the Power Sports Industry, and is the frontman of MotoProz where he is trained in all things outdoor. He started his career out at Plainview Power Sports where his dream of one day owning and operating his own dealership began. Mike has always had a passion for sno-cross racing and finished ‘Top 10’ in the ‘Semi-Pro Open Class’ in 2003. Mike was not yet ready to hang up his helmet for good as he still occasionally races his Arctic Cat ZR-440 in the “Ditch Banger Class”; which is a class of older models of snowmobiles racing their way towards victory once again. After 14 years of working part-time at MotoProz Missy ended her career at Mayo Clinic and was able to start working full-time helping out with not only the bookkeeping but also parts look-up, service writing, marketing, and sales. Mike and Missy are the proud parents of their Sales Staff Monty, whom is stepping into his fathers shoes and learning all he can to one day be able to take over the family business. I spoke briefly with the guys in the shop while they performed their duties and I learned of the roles each played within the company and what they were responsible for day to day to help make MotoProz run like a well oiled machine. Monty loves to help out however and wherever he can. He is a 2020 ZM graduate and has been a full-time employee since and is the go-to guy when Mike has stepped out of the shop. Sam Meyers, Certified Technician, has been an essential member of the team since May 2016 and continues to stay loyal and grow with the company as the team continues to expand their store front and services. MotoProz proudly offers a great selection of ‘Arctic Cat’ Power Sports Machines, ‘E-Z-Go’ golf carts, ‘Hustler’ zero steer mowers, ‘Stihl’ power equipment and ’Triton’ trailers; all of which can be serviced right here in the shop. MotoProz is located at 339 1st Avenue North in Mazeppa and their hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday 8:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. till noon. If you need to get in touch with the staff at MotoProz with your parts order or service questions you are encouraged to contact them by phone or by using this same number, try the new text feature by sending a text to 507-843-2855 and a staff member will get back to you at their earliest convenience.
