The Arrowhead Tesoro has finally sold.

The business, previously owned by Larry Reinhardt, had been on the market for more than a year, through wildly fluctuating oil prices and local gas wars.

Now the station -the last full-service station with a full-time mechanic in Bismarck - is in the hands of Pride Karges, a business owner and rancher from Hazen.

The sale for the station became official on Jan. 1, Karges said.

The building, the pumps and everything inside were included in the sale, Reinhardt said. And although neither party would comment on the final sale price, Reinhardt said it was significantly lower than his original asking price of $189,000.

Karges had previously owned a lawn care and landscaping business in Hazen; a Gulf War veteran, he'd purchased that business from his father after retiring from the military, then left the business a couple of years ago.

"We were looking for a new venture,"Karges said, adding that ranching has become more of a hobby.

Despite the tough economy and the volatility of the gas business, Karges is optimistic.

"I guess that if (the economy) hindered us from buying business, nobody would ever be in business,"he said.

In fact, he'd looked at businesses out of the state and across the state. This one fit their needs best.

Reinhardt added that he didn't think the business climate for gas stations is as dangerous as its reputation.

"People are driving less,"he said. "It varies from day to day. Day to day, it's different. One day it's way down, one day, it's way up. Idon't think there's a danger zone of getting into the gas business."

The former station owner is prepping for heart surgery, something he was putting off until his business sold. He's staying on-hand for a month for training and on-call questions, something that was part of the contract.

Karges is retaining the full-time mechanic and may add another part-time mechanic; hours are continuing from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. all week.