For Gary Brown, the secret of a good business comes down to the essentials. “We work hard and we’re honest. We try to treat people in the way they would want to be treated. We don’t play games.”
Brown is the second generation owner of the business, which was started in 1986. Brown’s father, Art, had been the owner and operator of the Arendahl Store, but when the economic farm crisis of the ‘80s hit, the elder Brown was forced to close the store. In 1985, he had the opportunity to rent a building, just south of Rushford, from Rustad Hog Equipment. The shop officially opened in February 1986 as farm tire shop only. Brown rented the building the first year, found success, and purchased it.
Gary, fresh out of school joined the business at just 22. “It’s really evolved from there,” he says. “Initially, it was the front shop only. As we grew, we ran two shops; one in front and one in back.”
In 1999, he bought the entirety of the business from his father. In those years, the building has been remodeled or added to five times. One addition added 5,000 square feet in one project. Allowing Brown’s to offer more to customers, the expansions allowed for three hoists in each shop, with tires, alignment, brakes, oil changes, and other maintenance in the front shop and transmission, engine, and electrical work in the back shop.
“We built as we grew,” says Brown. “It happened faster than expected.” While there are no current plans for further expansions, there are also no plans any time soon for Brown to retire.
Another key to Brown’s success, as he will readily tell you, is who you work with. “We have very good help,” he says, smiling, while getting joking glances from his staff. “We’ve also been in this so long that suppliers have become really good friends of mine. It’s easier to do business with good people.”
Through the years, Brown says the biggest highlights has easily been people thanking them for what they do. He’s hoping they’ll come take a peek at another something that’s recently brought him some joy; the custom-made, 1955 Chevy Bel Aire couch that now adorns his lobby.
Made in New Ulm by Linda Gieger, an avid ‘50s decor enthusiast, the red and white, striped leather piece is trimmed out from the original back bumper, logos and lights included. It wasn’t something Brown had been looking for, but he stumbled upon it on an online auction this past winter and placed a bid.
“There were other bids and I told my wife, ‘I’m going to bid one more time – that’s it,’” Brown chuckles, remembering how he got the winning bid.
Eager to find out more about the couch’s origin, Brown was able to track down Gieger via Facebook after reading the details of how it was made in an old newspaper article. It turned out Gieger and her husband originally had the piece in their own repair shop before selling it to another gentleman.
Brown proudly shows of the couch, flipping on the tail lights, and smiling. “Everything has changed and we grew with it,” he recalls. “If you stay the same you’ll be left behind. Every day is a new challenge and you have to go after it.”
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