FERGUS – Ron’s Auto Service, located at 8125 Wellington Road 18 just outside Fergus, first opened its doors in 1995.
Owners Ron and Follie Vanleeuwen have been working on cars together since they were teenagers, and now they’re celebrating three decades in business.
What began as a passion for fixing cars quickly turned into a family business for generations to come.
“My father bought the auto wreckers in Fergus when I was 12,” said Ron Vanleeuwen. “So as kids we (he and his brothers) would just pull whole cars apart.”
He is one of eight children, all of whom are self-employed.
The young mechanic continued to work on cars throughout his high school career and began his business just after graduation.
“When I finished high school, I started my business pretty much right away,” said Vanleeuwen.
“My first summer, I basically just used a portion of my parents’ parking lot outside of the shop. So, we had property, but the shop was full of other equipment.
“So, for the first summer, I just worked on cars outside. Mostly I replaced engines and transmissions for my first probably two years.”
After some time, Vanleeuwen gained a reputation in town and at the age of 21 decided to purchase the lot on which the business sits today.
The property originally featured mostly open space, with one small shop tucked into the far-left side of the property.
However, in 2019, Vanleeuwen and his wife decided to build a massive two-storey shop, from which they now run their business. The couple also re-purposed the other shop on the property as a vintage car-specific shop.
Asked about his employees, Vanleeuwen praised them for their dependability and loyalty over the years.
“Some of them have been here for very long time,” said Vanleeuwen. “So eventually … we think the same way as each other. I think that we can trust their opinion on things and allow them to do their task. They have been properly trained and know what their responsibilities are each day.”
Over the past 30 years, Vanleeuwen says the biggest struggle has been time management and not taking on every job.
That means “learning to find out what we are good at and just stay with that, and that’s still an ongoing challenge,” he said.
Partners – Owners Ron, left, and Follie Vanleeuwen. Submitted photos
Despite the growing need for mechanics and technicians, Vanleeuwen says he isn’t looking to expand any time soon.
“The demand in this town is growing, there’s more people moving in and there’s not really that many more shops. I think there’s less shops than there was when I started, which is hard to believe,” said Vanleeuwen.
“There’s huge demand for our industry, for sure, … but whether or not we will expand, I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I say I won’t, then I will. I’ve done a few ventures along the way.
“Sometimes you get tired of the growth too. We’re content. That’s a good way to say it.”
Vanleeuwen hopes to one day pass the torch to his daughter Brooke, who owns her own auto detailing business.
“The closest person who’s expressed some interest in it is Brooke. She’s shown interest in the business side of it. She’s not a technician or mechanic but you don’t have to be a technician or mechanic to take over a business like this,” said Vanleeuwen. “She’s an entrepreneur.”
Brooke told her Dad “Because you always had your business, I said, ‘When I grow up, I want to be an entrepreneur, just like my dad.’”
While an expansion is not in the cards for the foreseeable future, Vanleeuwen says he hopes to continue building on what he already has.
“I think we’d like to continually improve with everything we’re already doing,” he said.
“Communication, how we interact with the clientele, processes that help us improve how the clients experience their car repair.
“I think that’s what we would say is the focus moving forward.”
