Kenner Star

By: Allan Katz | February 2021

Dennis family gives Kenner and the region great automotive services for 45 years By Allan Katz. The year was 1975 and Clark Dennis came to Kenner hoping to start a business and make a go of it. Dennis had been working as a machinist at the American Can Company and the 33-year-old Dennis was raising a family. Although he had a great reputation as a worker, he had not accumulated much money. Born and raised in New Orleans, Dennis could only afford to rent one stall at a Kenner automotive services store at 2220 Airline Drive. The stall was so small that Dennis could only work on one vehicle at a time. Nevertheless, he put out his shingle and hoped some customers would find him. And they did. Only a few at first, but then dozens more.

Kenner was just beginning its growth spurt in 1975 so it was a much smaller community and word soon got from one end of town to the other that the new guy was a worker bee who could fix just about anything in addition to providing regular maintenance. Not only that but his prices were reasonable, he started early every day and worked late. And his word was his bond. If he told you something, you could take it to the bank. The years passed and Clark’s customer list kept growing. Soon, he owned every stall and then he owned the entire building at 2220 and 2230 Airline Drive. And that is how Dennis Automotive and Automatic Transmission came to be one of the largest family-owned automotive services companies in the region.

Today, 45 years after he rented one stall, Clark, now 79, still comes to work every day. His daughter, Noreen, runs the office with her husband, Mark Fonte. Noreen’s brother, Keith, runs the shop and is a computer diagnostic technician with 35 years’ experience. Noreen says, “Of course I’m biased, but many of us think Keith is the very best. He is always taking calls from other automotive repair shops seeking his advice on computer diagnosis issues.” There are eight other employees. One of them has been with Dennis for more than 30 years. Five have been with Dennis for between 10 and 15 years. Their transmission specialist, like Keith Dennis, is considered one of the best in the business and has a regional and national reputation. “We truly have an all-star team I would put up against anyone,” said Dennis. All of Dennis’ employees are certified in their specialties and voluntarily attend classes and workshops to stay up to date on the latest technology. Noreen says, “I think the story of my dad and my family is one of those great ‘American Dream’ stories. Here’s a guy who could only afford one stall to start with and builds a family-owned business that provides work for 13 people. The most amazing thing to me is that we get business almost every day from the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of my dad’s original customers from 45 years ago. Having your vehicles serviced by Dennis is a family tradition for them. Some no longer live in Kenner and have to drive a while to get to us, but they keep on coming.” Noreen says Clark now has six grandchildren and one great-grandchild so there is hope that the Dennis brand will continue in Kenner for some time to come. “We are so grateful to the generations in Kenner who have embraced our family,” says Noreen. “We know we truly stand on the shoulders of all those who have been our customers and have befriended us.”