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Al McGeorge tightens a bolt on the muffler assembly of a customer’s car, preparing it for final inspection before testing it to make sure it is satisfactory.

McGeorge, 62, has been working in the same family-owned shop for 45 years, the same shop his grandfather and father built together, which is celebrating its 75 years in business, a milestone for many small businesses, especially a garage.

The shop was started in 1947 by Albert McGeorge and the building remains mostly unchanged since that time.

“They started collecting pieces after the war, there was nothing available, everything was used, used blocks, doors, windows, beams, everything and that was it,” said McGeorge.

Back then, the business was called Central Auto Electric, but after Albert died in 1967, McGeorge’s father renamed the business McGeorge’s Auto Electric.

Located at the corner of Geneva and North streets, he said when it comes to continuing the level of service his grandfather provided, he doesn’t really think about it, its just something he takes pride in.

“Sometimes you sit down, and think wow, this is pretty good for a garage, that’s amazing, because there’s no garages or auto shops around that long usually,” he said.

“But 75 years, it’s almost unprecedented for a garage, either the owner passes away and then that’s the end of it or they are tarred and feathered and run out of town.”

He said when it comes to the work ethic, he stands behind a simple motto for business, “if you don’t need it or you don’t want it, that’s fine.”

“It’s a small town, it’s not so big you can jerk people around and stay in business, so you must be straight up with people,” he said.

McGeorge said sometimes he can be a little cut and dry, but he would rather be upfront with his customers, who have been coming to him for years and supporting his business, than to sell them something they don’t need.

McGeorge recalls when he realized he wanted to continue with the family business. He was eight years old and would help around the shop, from sweeping the floor to filling the coke machine and other small jobs.

“I used to walk for parts, about a block away, it used to be Ontario Auto Supply on Welland Avenue, I would walk there wait in line with all these guys two feet taller than me, to get parts for whatever needed to be done, then walk back,” he said.

“I think I always was going to do it, right or wrong, I was always going to do it.”

McGeorge’s favorite part of the job is when he has to problem solve and for a mechanic, that is often with all the things that can go wrong on newer cars, he said.

“We do a lot of diagnostic work, a lot of specialty work, we’re a full-service shop, but we do a lot of that end of it,” he said.

“We like figuring out issues maybe other shops didn’t want to deal with and that’s interesting, every day it’s like another Rubik’s Cube.”

McGeorge said watching how cars changed over the years has been interesting, going from carburated to fuel injection.

“I was lucky to get in the business just as everything was starting to change, fortunately for me, I’ve always done auto electric,” he said.

“It was easier for me to adapt because this is something I always did, and I was used to working with wiring and electrical problems.”

He said as he faces retirement, there is no one to pick up the wrench and continue the work that has spanned three generations and three-quarters of a century.

“I have a son that was here for a while, but it wasn’t for him,” he said.

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