Owner Chris August at Integra Tire  (Vernon Matters photo)

By Kevin Rothwell

Growing Vernon business

Legacy auto repair business adds to its holdings

May 19, 2023 | 6:00 AM

Affordable Auto Repair has been in business over 50 years at 3004 34th Avenue in Vernon and recently acquired nearby Integra Tire.

“Affordable Auto was started in 1972 by my dad. He opened the business as Harry’s Import Car Centre and we have been slowly growing focusing on import cars,” owner Chris August told Vernon Matters.

Christ August and staff pose at Affordable Auto Repair / Image supplied

Space constraints at the Affordable Auto location started to limit the number of vehicles that could be worked on and safely stored overnight.

“In Vernon, cars just can’t stay outside overnight. Integra Tire became available, and it has really changed the amount of space and the amount of workers we have, so our turn around time is better,” August said. “We do a lot of tires, alignments, air conditioning, and front end work.”

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The additional services have helped the business grow to ten employees.

“The lucky thing is the guy who used to work here, Richard, has moved over from Affordable Auto and he is back in his old stomping grounds. It is nice to have a guy that knows how to do custom exhausts, quickly and properly, and we have an apprentice here doing the other stuff and learning the trade, so its huge. He is a student and we are doing the work share program. It’s awesome. We are building back into the community that way,” August added.

Integra Tire, at 4309 31st Street, is only a block from Affordable Auto Repair.

“I’m getting a lot of steps in, going back and forth for right now as we start to transition and get everybody trained and learning what we are doing and how we are doing it, that is for sure,” August joked.

You can find Integra Tire online here and Affordable Auto Repair online here.