What do car repairs and concealed carry classes have in common? More than you’d think—especially when Kemp Treger is behind both. From rebuilding engines to teaching firearm safety, Kemp’s built two businesses around one principle: do it right, or don’t do it at all. But what makes women better shooters than men? Why are some luxury cars a mechanic’s worst nightmare? And how do you really make a car last 300,000 miles? This episode goes under the hood in more ways than one.

They used to fix. My Honda Accord and kept it going for many, many years. Loved Kemp for all he did for the Honda Accord I had, and it went to over 300,000 miles before I finally got a new one. We also talked to him about how he changed from just doing Hondas and Acura to now doing all types of imports, including BMWs and Mercedes as well as.

Hondas and Acura's and Toyotas and Lexuses and the different types of cars they service and the different services they provide. We talked to him his about his new venture, Kemper Farms, where he is doing concealed carry training and gun safety training, and that's at kemperfarms.com. We talked to him about how women are often better shots than men when they come through his concealed carry class.

Welcome to another episode of Best of Johnston County, brought to you by Breeden Law Office. Our host, Jonathan Breeden, an experienced family lawyer with a deep connection to the community, is ready to take you on a journey through the area that he has called home for over 20 years. Whether it's a deep dive into the love locals have for the county or unraveling the complexities of family law, Best of Johnston County presents an authentic slice of this unique community.

But before we get to that, I'd like to like ask you to like, follow and subscribe to this podcast wherever you're seeing it, whether it be on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram, or any of the other social media channels of The Best of Johnston County Podcast. The Best of Johnston County Podcast comes out every single Monday and has now for over 20 months.

So go back and listen some of our previous episodes with most of the Johnston County Commissioners. Johnston County Manager, Rick Hester, realtor, Donald O'Mara. Our local dentist, Tim Sims, we've had all types of guests from all over Johnston County talking about the services they provide, educating the public about their subject matters.

Kemp Treger: How you doing?

Jonathan Breeden: Good. I appreciate you coming, man. We hadn't talked in a while. I saw you on Facebook and you were buying a new truck for Brian Shin and I thought, man, I'd love to have him. Look, we used to have the best time when I was in there getting my car fixed. You were a small business. I was a small business.

We're just getting started and it was an adventure.

Kemp Treger: Oh yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: We had the same problems, you know, labor, trying to get people to pay. You know, my business is no different than your business. We're now much bigger than both of us Were 20 years ago. So I thought we'll have you come in and talk about what you're doing now. So

Kemp Treger: yeah

Jonathan Breeden: anyway, so

Kemp Treger: things have definitely changed.

Jonathan Breeden: They have changed. I know it, right. I mean, I remember it was Clayton Honda. Now it's Clayton Imports. So anyway, just tell us who you are and what you do.

So my guys had to change up and get some different training and of course scan scanners and gosh, diagnostic stuff is crazy right now. Back in the day we didn't have all this computerized stuff. We had carburetors and vacuum lines, and now we got fuel injection, we got cam sensors, we got modules can buses. We got stuff all over the place that we have to get into and we have to communicate with them.

Now it's all computerized. You have to be highly trained to work on these cars and a lot of people get, get caught up trying to fix them themselves, or they take 'em somewhere that don't have the knowledge and then end up bringing it to me and I gotta fix what they started first before I can

Jonathan Breeden: get to what actually is wrong.

Kemp Treger: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: Golly, I, I mean, it really has changed. I mean, I mean, these cars now, I mean, you sort of plug into 'em and they tell you what's wrong with them.

Kemp Treger: That's what people think.

Jonathan Breeden: I mean, didn't do Well, that's what I think I'm saying. I don't know.

Kemp Treger: Yeah, it's a, you know, that's another mistake. They go to AutoZone and they pull the code on it and they say, Hey, you need an option sensor.

It's just not gonna be any warranty on it, you know?

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Kemp Treger: So we end up doing it and 90% of the time it doesn't fix it. And we end up, you know, fixing the problem, which costs more money and then they're not happy about that. And I was like, well, if you would've brought it here to begin with and let us diagnosis, then it's all on us. Not you.

Jonathan Breeden: Right.

Kemp Treger: You know, if you buy an alternator from O'Reilly's or AutoZone, nine times outta 10, it's gonna be bad when you put it on.

Jonathan Breeden: Why?

Kemp Treger: Because whatever O'Reilly's alternators, they're and starters and stuff like that on the electrical side, they're just the remanufactured program nowadays. They just, people just.

Kemp Treger: It's just they don't know, you know, how to overhaul these cars.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Kemp Treger: I mean the, the alternators and stuff like that. Now AutoZone in their durast golds, you know, they're higher end are pretty good. But most of the time on any of the BMW's Mercedes, we have to use factory parts.

So we have a company called Worldpac that we ordered parts in California and they have a local warehouse in Raleigh and they deliver to me three times a day. And it's genuine Mercedes, genuine BMW. You can't throw aftermarket brake pads on one of these cars 'cause they sound, then they'll sound like a trash truck.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh man. Okay.

Kemp Treger: They hit the brakes and

Jonathan Breeden: Right.

Kemp Treger: You know, so

Jonathan Breeden: Well that's, that's different than

Kemp Treger: you got. Yeah. You gotta know what, what you can use aftermarket parts on and what you can't, certain cars you can, certain cars you can't. American cars, they don't care. You can put whatever you want on them.

Jonathan Breeden: So, so I mean, I guess, how many employees do you have now?

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Kemp Treger: I try and keep it down. I've run five or six before, but

Jonathan Breeden: Right.

Kemp Treger: I, I'd like to keep it, I keep it down and then I, I quality control the cars. I drive 'em after they get done, make sure everything's.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay,

Kemp Treger: good. So.

Jonathan Breeden: How many bays do you have back there?

Kemp Treger: I have seven.

Jonathan Breeden: Seven, okay. But you're not running all seven at one time?

Kemp Treger: Oh yeah, they're running.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh, they're running okay.

Kemp Treger: That way. That way if one's, one guy's got a transmission out of the car and he's broke a boat or he's missing a part, he doesn't have to try and get the car outta the shop. He's got an extra bay.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh, okay.

Kemp Treger: So both of my tech master technicians have two bays a piece.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Kemp Treger: My GS tech, he has his bay and he can use another bay. Plus we have the alignment machine.

Jonathan Breeden: All right.

Kemp Treger: It's also, you could use it as a lift.

Kemp Treger: Yeah, we're working on just about anything. My guys don't, they hate Mercedes and BMWs. It's just, you know, it's just a beast that electrical problems, oil leaks, you know, you get a Honda, Toyota, Acura, Lexus. They're good to go. It's just maintenance. So you got regular maintenance on those. They'll go three, 400,000 miles without any problems.

But a Mercedes and A BMW make it a weekend car because you don't wanna drive it every day. If you drive it every day, you'll be in the shop. And the bills are very expensive.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay. Well, I mean I know that Toyota and Lexus are always, I guess, deemed the most reliable by consumer reports.

Jonathan Breeden: Hondas are also extremely reliable as well, which I guess Acura is owned by Honda.

Kemp Treger: Yep.

Jonathan Breeden: And and Toyota. Toyota owns Lexus. Those are the higher end brands of those of people that don't, don't realize that what are the some of the common mistakes you see, in choosing a, a shop, like, I mean, probably not the best idea to choose a shop on just price alone, right?

Kemp Treger: Well, a lot of people do. That's, that's probably the, the problem is they'll go to a Pep Boys or a you know, a quick lube or something like that. And then we get 'em to the shop and we have to fix what, you know, right. What happens there, you know, when you go buy like BJ's or a Jiffy Lube and it says Help wanted and it says no experience needed, just think that's what's working on your car.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Kemp Treger: And fixing old leaks and stuff like that.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, that's cool. Yeah. And you know, I think one thing people should look at when they go to a shop is. Is it clean? Is it, is it need and orderly? Because I think that's important. I think that, I think that shows the detail people have. I mean, I know your shop was always, basically could almost eat off the floor.

Kemp Treger: Yeah. Yeah. And you gotta have, you gotta have the good upfront people. And you have to have someone usually a, a girl or a woman that can answer the phone with a smile, you know, when they, when you're greeted. And not that they have to necessarily know everything about a car. 'cause then you got the service manager that actually can.

Jonathan Breeden: Right.

Kemp Treger: You need one person that's good with the customers and, you know.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. So what are some of the most, I mean, we're just talking about some of the things that I think people make mistakes on. Do you give written estimates?

Kemp Treger: Yes, we do.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay. Is that important you think, for customers?

Kemp Treger: Well, yeah. You have to give them a, quote. Because that way, you know, they know what they're, if you don't give 'em a quote and they come in and they don't tell you, well, don't spend over $500 and they come in, they got a $2,000 bill.

That's just, I mean, we've never done that. We've always given people a quote. And usually the quote is higher, you know, in case, 'cause we put in like 50 or a hundred bucks in there if we're doing a big job in case. We break some the bolt or just something a hose breaks when we're taking it apart or.

Jonathan Breeden: Right.

Kemp Treger: Something like that. We incorporate that in there. So then when they come to pick it up, the bill's actually cheaper

Jonathan Breeden: right

Jonathan Breeden: Right. And you do, y'all go to your gotta mean. I know your service manager, y'all go to great lengths to try to explain what needs to be done and why it needs to be done.

Kemp Treger: Yep.

Jonathan Breeden: And answer all their questions before you do the work.

Kemp Treger: Oh yeah. Yep. And, and if they're waiting customer, we can actually bring 'em out into the shop. 'cause my shop's clean.

Jonathan Breeden: Right.

Kemp Treger: You ain't gotta worry about 'em falling and busting their butt, you know, because

Jonathan Breeden: Right.

Kemp Treger: Nobody's allowed back there for insurance

Jonathan Breeden: Right

Kemp Treger: purposes. But I will take 'em back and show 'em and explain to 'em what's, what's going on there. So

Jonathan Breeden: I gotcha. I gotcha. And. It probably you should look at people's reviews and and, and stuff like that before you choose a shop as well, right?

Kemp Treger: Well, yeah, and you got to, you do have to realize that you're gonna have, you're not gonna make everybody happy.

Jonathan Breeden: That's true. That's true. So that's true.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, no, you're you average well over four stars, even though you're in in the car repair business. But yeah, I think that's important for people to do.

Have family law questions? Need guidance to navigate legal challenges? The compassionate team at Breeden Law Office is here to help. Visit us at www. breedenfirm. com for practical advice, resources, or to book a consultation. Remember, when life gets messy, you don't have to face it alone.

Jonathan Breeden: I mean, what are some things you you would say it's one or two things that you would advise the public to help their cars just last longer be healthier cars?

So the lubrication is not there and that's where the biggest concern is on cars that break down with turbochargers and oil leaks and stuff like that, is they don't change the oil enough and transmission's going out. Unless it's a Nissan, you might as well just plan on putting the transmission in it at about 70,000 miles. So, oh,

Jonathan Breeden: okay. I gotcha.

Kemp Treger: I got, I got any of the, any of the CVT transmissions? Yeah, we do. We probably do one a week.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay, I got you.

Kemp Treger: Uh,

Jonathan Breeden: Well one of the things you had to do for me at least once, if not twice, was the timing belt.

Kemp Treger: Oh yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: But I think those are gone now.

Kemp Treger: No, they're still there. Or like,

Jonathan Breeden: Or they're chains I guess, or whatever.

Kemp Treger: Yeah, the four cylinders are chains. The V6 are still timing belts.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay. They, you still, You still chains?

Kemp Treger: Toyota still does timing belts.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Yeah, yeah,

Kemp Treger: yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: I remember that.

Kemp Treger: So we still, But yeah we were, we. I can't tell you how many time belts we did back, back in the days.

Jonathan Breeden: Right.

Kemp Treger: I mean, it was crazy.

Jonathan Breeden: But I guess now these chains don't really get changed.

Kemp Treger: No.

Jonathan Breeden: You, no. But the belts, I guess on the V6 is still do.

Kemp Treger: Yeah. Yeah. It's every 105,000.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

It

Kemp Treger: Used to be 90 back.

Jonathan Breeden: Right?

Kemp Treger: Every 90,000 back when you had yours.

Jonathan Breeden: Yep. I remember that.

Kemp Treger: Now it's 105 and the spark plugs are 105.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Kemp Treger: 'Cause they got platinum spark plugs. Most of the time on a chain motor, they'll start making some noise first. And it's usually not the chain, it's usually the tensioner that keeps the tension on the chain

Jonathan Breeden: okay

Kemp Treger: or lack of lubrication. Like before they let the engine get low and the guides that hold the chain and there are plastic and they don't have enough lubrication, they start eating into the guides.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Kemp Treger: And then the plastic guides break.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay, I got you.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, and that's it. And, and I've always been a big maintenance person to get my old life, because I drive cars. I've had multiple cars to 300,000 miles. The current car, I think is at 208,000 miles. Like I just, you know, my, my wife's car that we just traded in about a year ago was at 250, 260. I mainly drive Toyotas and Lexuses and Hondas and I just drive 'em till, till they, they can't be driven anymore or something happens. I mean, but I mean, and the thing is, it's an appreciating asset, right? And so eventually it's gonna be worth zero. And so, you know, I'd, I'd rather have my money and it's something that appreciates like the stock market or bonds or stuff like that. So, but anyway, the other thing you have is you used to have a gun store. You don't have that anymore, but you still do concealed carry classes.

Kemp Treger: I do.

Jonathan Breeden: Let's talk about that.

I do.

Jonathan Breeden: So what is the, does how would you get signed up for your concealed carry class?

Kemp Treger: You goes to KemperFarms.com.

Jonathan Breeden: How do you spell that?

Kemp Treger: K-E-M-P-E-R farms.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay .com , Mm-hmm. all right.

Kemp Treger: And just go there and you'll see the different classes you can sign up for. It's got all the dates in there and then your basic training and stuff like that. All the prices are in there and stuff. We do it all at the farm. I have a shop at the farm where we have a big classroom, and my trainer is very good that teaches the class. He's very knowledgeable.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Jonathan Breeden: Right?

Kemp Treger: You do have to shoot at three, five, and seven yards.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay?

Kemp Treger: Yeah. So. A lot of people come in and they've never shot a gun before, so obviously they fail and they have to come back and do a reshoot and, you know.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. So it's more than just the learning. You have to get good enough.

Kemp Treger: Oh, yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: And to be able to, to qualify.

Kemp Treger: Yeah. And a lot of people come in and, and sit in on a class. It it like, if I have mine and my wife or girlfriend doesn't have hers, they like to come in and we'll let 'em sit in for free with them. Make them feel better. And then we have an all girls class too, that we do.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Kemp Treger: Also. But I'm gonna tell you it's that's very exciting to watch, watch these people that are very well trained and they're in Johnston County.

They know how to shoot, so,

Jonathan Breeden: oh, that's good. That's good. That's good.

Jonathan Breeden: okay?

Kemp Treger: They concentrate better. They listen, a man will just get up there and, oh yeah, I got it all going on. You know?

Jonathan Breeden: Right, right, right, right.

Kemp Treger: And he won't hit the target, but a female gets up there and it might not be, she might not have ever shot it twice and, and she'll put 'em in a group like this.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh, that's awesome. That's awesome. That's awesome. So how can people reach out? So we got Kemper Farms for the, for the fire, the firearm safety training and the cast concealed carry classes. How could they reach out to Clayton Imports?

Kemp Treger: Just claytonimports.com.

Jonathan Breeden: All right, and what's the phone number?

Jonathan Breeden: Right. You're still right there on Guy Road.

Kemp Treger: Still on Guy Road two 11 Guy Road, right down from the middle school. Clayton. Clayton Middle School.

Jonathan Breeden: Golly. A lot more when you went there, you were one of the only buildings on that road.

Kemp Treger: Yeah. Yeah, we've been around.

Kemp Treger: The building is absolutely ridiculous.

Jonathan Breeden: Yeah. I mean, Clayton Clayton's growing. There's no doubt about that. So the last question we ask everybody on this podcast is what you love most about Johnston County?

Kemp Treger: We love the country. We love the quiet, you know, we love gun shooting.

Jonathan Breeden: There's nothing wrong with that.

Kemp Treger: No. We love eating.

Jonathan Breeden: There's a lot of good restaurants. What's one of your favorite restaurants?

Kemp Treger: Well, actually the one that I, I like, I like sushi and I like Thai food.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Kemp Treger: So you're not gonna get that around here

Jonathan Breeden: okay

Kemp Treger: in Johnston County. So I gotta go to ShabaShabu.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh,

Kemp Treger: and Raleigh.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh yeah.

Kemp Treger: We do that once a month, but everything else is local.

Jonathan Breeden: I gotcha.

Kemp Treger: We support all local.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, what are some of your favorite local restaurants?

Kemp Treger: Mannings is probably good.

Jonathan Breeden: Mannings is good. Yeah.

Kemp Treger: Clayton Steakhouse is good. There's a new Mexican restaurant just went in behind the cookout where the Shawnee Diner used to be.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Jonathan Breeden: Really good.

Kemp Treger: Pretty decent. Yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: Behind the shiny, where was where, where was the shiny downer? I'll have to go.

Kemp Treger: Yeah. Yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: I love Mexican food.

Kemp Treger: Oh yeah. Yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: I was at Fiesta Mexicana the other night up here at 40, at 36 I, forty, forty two, whatever you wanna call it. I love Fiesta Mexicana.

Kemp Treger: Yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: The chips are probably not good for my diet, but I, I just, I love that. So I'll have to go to that place. I've seen how people have talk about that place in Clayton.

Kemp Treger: Oh yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: No doubt. No doubt.

Kemp Treger: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, that's cool. Well, look, we'd like to thank Kemp Treger, owner of Clayton Imports and Kemper Farms are coming onto this episode of The Best of Johnston County Podcast where we talk a little bit about the car repair services provides and some of the things you can do. And if you don't get anything else outta this podcast, regular maintenance, regular maintenance, regular maintenance of your car will help your car last a lot longer.

You don't even have to call. He's coming into the 21st century on his new website. He's excited about that.

Kemp Treger: New software.

Jonathan Breeden: So yeah, all that new software. So anyway, until next time, I'm your host, Jonathan Breeden.

That's the end of today's episode of Best of Johnston County, a show brought to you by the trusted team at Breeden Law Office. We thank you for joining us today and we look forward to sharing more interesting facets of this community next week. Every story, every viewpoint adds another thread to the rich tapestry of Johnston County.

If the legal aspects highlighted raised some questions, help is just around the corner at www. breedenfirm. com.