About Checkpoint Automotive
Serving Aurora Since 1999!
I opened Checkpoint Automotive Inc. in March of 1999. Southeast Denver has always been my home, so I was excited to open a shop from my neighbors and friends. I had already worked in the industry for several years when opened my doors and I knew I wanted to do things differently, to create a company culture that made my team eager to come to work each day—and my customers comfortable dropping their car off for repair. That is exactly what I did! It’s all but unheard of in the automotive industry, but one of my technicians has been with me since the very beginning, and another for a full 18 years. We have fun at work and our Service Writers can often be found grilling on their tailgate. To thank my team for their hard work we took a trip to St. Thomas in 2016.
Mechanics continue to evolve at a rapid pace, especially with the advanced computer systems built-in to the domestic and Asian imports that we repair. To ensure we stay ahead of the curve the entire team are ASE Maser Certified and participate regularly in ongoing training. I am an Accredited Automotive Manager, and alumni member of the Automotive Training Institute (ATI), and active in independent auto networking through ATI 20 Group. I am also active with Transformer Masterminds, Colorado Automotive Service, Southeast Aurora Leads, and Aurora Southlands leads.
Together with my wife Lisa, daughter Devin and my trusted team of technicians—we actively engage with our local community. We support our local Wounded Warriors, Alzheimer’s Memory Walk, Cherry Creek Schools, Lets Shoot Out Alzheimer’s sporting clay event, Family Rescue Mission, and the Ihme Family Golf Tournament for the Children’s Hospital. I am also President of local non-profit Palomino Pals, providing recreational horseback riding to children with special needs. When I’m not at the shop you can finding me riding horses or skiing one of the many advanced slops Colorado has to offer.
We are proud to be a shop everyday drivers and local fleets can turn to get a thorough “check out inspection” just like a pit crew does in the racing industry! We are 3 time recipients of the Talk of the Town Awards and have received the Gold Star Award from the Better Business Bureau.
Thank you to the Aurora community for 20 years in business—here’s to 20 more!
-Larry Olsen
Checkpoint Automotive owner Larry Olsen is a Colorado native and ASE Certified Master technician who has been working in the automotive industry for over 32 years. He started out working as a technician for a few notable dealerships and independent shops in Denver. As he trained and learned more about the industry and his customers, Larry branched out and opened Checkpoint Automotive in 1999 with the goal of providing quick, expert auto repair services and excellent customer care.
Since then, Checkpoint Automotive has expanded and earned multiple awards and professional marks, including the Talk of the Town Customer Satisfaction award and BBB Gold Star for excellent service. Larry, his wife and his team of dedicated technicians, some of whom have been with Checkpoint Automotive for over a decade, are committed to providing the best service, maintenance and repairs available to their customers new and old.
Meet the Checkpoint Automotive Team
Larry Olsen, President & Owner
Larry opened Checkpoint Automotive Inc in March of 1999, and he is a native of Colorado and grew up in southeast Denver. As President and Owner, his duties include overall operations, marketing, service manager and daily operations. Larry is an ASE Master Technician and Accredited Automotive Manager. He is also an alumni member of the Automotive Training Institute (ATI) and stays involved with independent auto repair owners through an ATI 20 group. Larry is a member of Southeast Aurora leads and Aurora Southland’s leads group. He is also a member of the Colorado Automotive Service Association. Larry, along with his wife Lisa and daughter Devin, really loves having a neighborhood family business and the challenges that come with operating an automotive shop. The thing he likes best about Checkpoint Automotive has been the longevity of its employees and the relationships he has made with both employees and customers. Larry is an advanced skier and is also an avid horseman. He loves traveling with family and can be found either on the slopes or at the barn when not at the shop. Larry is president of local nonprofit called Palomino Pals that provides recreational horseback riding to kids with special needs; he devotes any spare time to volunteer with these special kids. Fun fact about Larry: He skied in freestyle mogul events after finishing high school, some kind of hot dogging thing!
Lisa Olsen, Bookkeeper
Lisa’s role as bookkeeper for Checkpoint Automotive keeps the guys on track. She takes care of all the daily bills and records all sales. Lisa is a native Coloradan and grew up in the Green Mountain area. She worked in the dental and orthodontics field for over 20 years, and she says there are a lot of similar aspects to both fields. Sometimes Lisa is running errands for the shop and you might even be shuttled home by her. You may see Lisa around the shop with the Olsen family’s new dog Sophie.
Curtis Youngberg, Technician
Curtis Youngberg is an ASE certified technician here at Checkpoint Automotive. Curtis joined Checkpoint in June of 2003. He graduated from Pickens Tech with a degree in automotive technology and grew up right here in Aurora. Curtis actually started in our quick lube and moved up the ranks to technician. Curtis seems to love the challenge of figuring out a job someone else could not, he finds our subscription to Identifix to be one of his best places to search hard to fix cars. Curtis loves golfing and has also taken up home brewing.
Devin Olsen, Personal Assistant
Devin is a 2010 graduate of Eaglecrest high school and is attending Metro State University of Denver. She has been around the auto shop atmosphere most of her life and really loves being involved in things at the family shop. Devin remembers one former technician blowing up rubber gloves just to entertain her when she was only 5 years old. Devin is our girl on Fridays, and she can be found doing many things at Checkpoint Automotive – answering the phone when no one else is available, performing the courtesies on cars in the quick lube, mowing the lawn, stocking parts, fixing computer issues the guys know nothing about, cleaning equipment, checking email appointments, etc. Devin volunteers every Saturday to help special needs kids ride horses in the Palomino Pals program in Parker Colorado.
