Leading auto service centre celebrates 50 years
By Myron Love
WINNIPEG -- Frank Motors recently hosted a birthday party for 160 guests to celebrate the auto service centre’s 50th year of serving Winnipeg motorists.
“Some of our clients have been with us for up to 35 years,” says Frank Motors’ president Dieter Scheffer.
Frank Motors bills itself as the largest import repair business on the Prairies as well as one of the oldest and largest auto service centres in the region. Scheffer’s father, Frank Scheffer, founded Frank Motors in 1960. The German-trained auto mechanic arrived in Winnipeg in 1958. He worked for Volkswagen Canada initially before going out on his own.
The auto service centre has been at its present location since 1974. Dieter joined his father in business in 1980. Frank Scheffer passed away in 1987.
“We operate a very diverse business,” Dieter Scheffer says. “For example, we carry specialty oils that are so new that most people don’t yet know they exist.”
Frank Motors is also one of the few places in Winnipeg that recycles anti-freeze. The auto service centre also carries kits for converting engines to run on vegetable oil.
“We operate five of our own vehicles on vegetable oil,” Scheffer notes.
The big news for the auto service centre is that it has become the distributor for Manitoba for the Krown line of products. “We made the announcement at our anniversary celebration,” Scheffer notes.
Krown manufactures a complete line of rust inhibiting and detailing products.
Not only does Frank Motors service vehicles, the service centre helps customers source new and used vehicles through its Car Finder program. He says they noticed customers were driving vehicles that didn’t suit their needs.
Now Scheffer and his staff sit down with customers and determine what the customer is looking for in a vehicle. “We see what fits his budget then arrange test drives with different dealers,” he explains.
Dieter Scheffer is looking forward to another 50 years serving the needs of Winnipeg motorists. “My father always said that if you look after your customers, the business will look after itself.”
