Like many of their neighbours, Scott and Kelsey Brockway used to put a lot of hours behind the wheel commuting to Calgary.
But last spring, they decided it was time to come closer to home. They sold their auto service business they owned since 2014 in Calgary, and by November opened Brockway’s Automotive in a single-bay shop off East Lake Crescent.
“We just want to support our community, and hopefully, our community supports us back,” said Scott, who moved to Airdrie with Kelsey in 2006. “It's actually been a lot better than I ever could have imagined.”
Offering a full range of mechanical and diagnostic services with lower overhead and stress leaves the parents of three smiling.
Last fall, Kelsey took up homeschooling their kids in the lunchroom of the shop while answering phones for the business and volunteering for the Airdrie Minor Hockey Association while Scott pulls wrenches in the back.
The hockey community has been part of their success in the early months of Brockway’s, spreading the word to more customers, and even offering helping hands when they remodeled the business.
“It's a close-knit community,” said Scott, noting they made sure they supported local shops, like Where On Earth Antique Mall and East Lake Welding, when making the Airdrie space their own.
They’re enjoying the 5-minute commute from home and an even shorter drive from the shop to the hockey rinks of the teams they help sponsor.
COVID has put a damper on all local service shops with people driving fewer kilometres in the last year due to restrictions, but Brockway’s Automotive has grown stable.
You can find Brockway’s Automotive by visiting brockwaysauto.com.