A Family Run Business in a Big Chain World.

When Dale Adams started his own auto repair and customization business from a bay in the Willow Park Texaco in 1977, he knew that we wanted to build not just a business, but a passion and a dream. He wanted to do it for himself, but also his family. He knew children would soon enter the picture and he wanted to be sure he could build a business that would support them. That may seem basic and silly to say now, but that human, and family element, is often missing in these modern times.

Do you think that modern investors who put capital into the newest auto shop chain or big box store automotive department shares the same passion and energy he put into his business? Very unlikely. Do you believe that the lessons Dale learned about quality of service, unparalleled customer service and honest labour and part pricing is shared by these same big box chains? Very unlikely that they can extract these life lessons from corporate training manuals in an afternoon corporate training session.

With so many businesses impacted from the pandemic we are now fighting, now is a very good time to rethink the businesses we all support and the services they offer. 

Since 1977 much has changed at Dale Adams. It's Dale's son Derek now at the front desk running the day to day of the shop and with the recent move to a bigger space, we have more options and equipment to offer even better service to all of our customers. We learned our business lessons the old fashioned way and with countless years working with Calgarians to offer the best service and experience.

Dale has also been a very involved with performance and vintage vehicles his whole life. He has spent his entire career looking for ways to improve performance, maximize power and to ensure that any repairs and restoration work to vehicles is done at the highest of standards. Dale's love of racing and vehicles radiates through his shop and he genuinely cares about doing what is best for the vehicle and the customers. Again, we are not trying to downplay those working in big box repair shops, but do you think the big box mechanic will have the same oversight and passion for your vehicle? Again, very unlikely.

With his son managing the shop now, this has actually given more time for Dale to be in the back working on the vehicles and overseeing his team of specialists. His team see him as a walking encyclopedia of vehicle information, or some might say a car whisperer. His uncanny ability to diagnose issues and see areas of improvement is truly an art form. There are not many mechanics like Dale these days and we are so excited to have such a figure as the heart of his shop.

To those of you that have been coming to the shop for years, we thank you and will continue to offer you the best service. To those of you that don't much think about where you are buying from, or simply go for the big chain options, we would encourage you to think about where you do your business and ho you can support your community. We aren't saying you have to come to us (Though you should!), but please thing about local family-run businesses more often. We guarantee they care more about you and that there is much more trust involved.

We can't wait to see what the future has in store for Dale Adams Automotive next. With the business set up to stay in the family for years to come, we know we will be successful. 

The Dale Adams Team




Dale Adams
Dale Adams

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