06/20/2026
It has been awhile since we posted on here, but I felt the need to share a little information about the shop. We are constantly busy with a lot of work going on, and I want to take this moment to thank you all for the continued support of our business.
The Beginning of the Shop
I shared this picture of my dad, who was the guy who started this business under the name Roy’s Auto Repair. This shop location has been here going on 55 plus years.
The original shop had a fire, and he lost everything: the building, most of the tools, and the equipment. I was in third or fourth grade when that happened. At that point, he had a family to raise—me and my brother—but in true Ames fashion, he did not think twice about taking on more loans, work, and sweat to build a new, larger shop. Many from the local community pushed and helped him to rebuild.
Learning the Trade
I started working part time for my dad in 1976, just entering high school, actually on the payroll and being paid by the job, not per hour. Studding tires was 25 cents per tire, mounting and balancing tires was $1.00 each, and the list went on, doing whatever he felt I could do safely for the customer.
The years prior to that, I always had something torn apart in the yard or next to the shop—maybe I didn’t always get things put back together, and maybe I left his tools out. He taught well, and I learned a great deal from him. He taught both me and my brother the mechanic field, and both of us have done this to make a living right out of high school in some form or another. We also continued our mechanical vocational education through schooling provided by the companies we worked for.
Ames Auto & Outdoor Equipment Today
I purchased the shop in 2008, after working for my dad in some capacity, full time or part time, for many years. I opened the doors as Ames Auto & Outdoor Equipment. Working for someone versus owning the business yourself can be a rude awakening.
We have made changes, added equipment lines and additions to the building, and upgraded tools, computers, and diagnostic equipment. I still use some of the same tools he had his hands on, and it gives me a special feeling that he is here with me every day.
Still Doing What We Love
I just wanted to share some of our history, our family ties, and the story of this shop. Some have asked when I am going to retire. The answer is: I am not. I like doing what i do. I know I move slower these days than I did in the past, but we are still doing it every day The shop is a 24/7 process, if im not working on something i am working on parts orders, equipment purchases, dealing with the paper trail that goes with business.
