Our Story
Gustafson’s Auto Clinic Inc/Trail Tire is the trusted name in automotive repair and maintenance for Athabasca and the surrounding area.
Aldor Gustafson became a Licensed Mechanic in 1963 and earned $85 per week at a Shell service station. He worked long hours to support his young family in Edmonton, Alberta. Aldor had a dream of a better life for his family and moved to Athabasca in 1969, where he leased and managed the Texaco service station until 1977. He then sold the business and continued to work as the head mechanic until 1984.
He had a dream to start his own shop after working in the industry for 25 years. So, on June 4, 1984, he opened the doors to Gustafson’s Auto Clinic Inc. In June of 1985, his son Kevin joined him and eventually became a Journeyman Mechanic. Kevin’s girlfriend, Stacey, joined the team in September 1987 as the bookkeeper. Kevin and Stacey got married in 1992 and took over the daily operations of the business in 1997 when they became computerized. In 2001, Kevin and Stacey purchased the shop from Aldor. Aldor retired but remained an integral part of the team as he came in every day at 10 am and 2 pm for coffee and then whenever a driver was needed to pick up and deliver our clients.
On November 7, 2003 there was a fire caused by a trouble light falling and igniting gas from a fuel tank that was being replaced. Luckily, there was only minor injuries, but the shop was a total loss.
Kevin and Stacey did not want to let their clients or their team down so they set up shop for a few days at Stacey’s parent’s farm until Kevin found a temporary location to rent until they could rebuild. Thankfully they only missed 2 days of work. They rebuilt in the same location and moved into the new building on May 31, 2004.
Kevin and Stacey’s daughter, Kendra joined the team briefly as a Service Advisor in 2013 before moving to Edmonton to further her education.
Their son Colton joined the team in 2014 as a Service Advisor and then became a Licensed Journeyman Automotive Service Technician in March 2020 and became the 3rd generation of Technicians to join the family business.
Sadly, on September 26, 2015, Aldor passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with cancer. Aldor was the backbone of Gustafson’s Auto Clinic Inc and those same morals and values that Gustafson’s was built on are still an integral part of who we are today. He is greatly missed.
Our modern, unique showroom offers our clients a comfortable client lounge complete with leather sofa, big screen TV, coffee bar, client work area with free Wi-Fi and a complementary mini bar with non-alcoholic beverages. Outside there is our Garage Patio to enjoy when weather permits while you are waiting for your vehicle. We want to build a relationship with you and gain your trust. We pride ourselves on having a strong work ethic, honesty, integrity, and a Team that is focused on maintaining and managing your vehicle to be safe, reliable, and efficient through ongoing education and development of our Technicians, Service Advisors and Management Teams.
We are committed to remain knowledgeable about the latest technologies. Our friendly, knowledgeable, and professional staff will educate and counsel our clients to their specific automotive needs and always provide exceptional customer service.
Education and keeping up to date on all the latest technologies is a priority and it is mandatory that all team members undergo management and business development training to fully understand the numbers of the business.
We appreciate and value our team members for believing in us and being on this journey and for our clients and community for supporting and trusting us to keep their vehicles safe, reliable and efficient.
Our Mission Statement
It is our mission to provide our clients with an exceptional experience other than what has been expected from an automotive facility. We intend to earn and keep your trust from the moment you walk in our door.
We are committed to the ongoing education and training of our Technician’s, Service Advisor’s and Management Teams required to remain knowledgeable about the latest technologies.
Our friendly, knowledgeable, and professional team will educate and counsel you to your specific automotive needs. We strive to become the new standard in the automotive repair industry.
Awards & Recognition
- 2009 – Athabasca Chamber of Commerce: Business of the Year
- 2010 – AAEC/Automotive Parts Distributors: Best of the Best Award for achieving Business Management Excellence
- 2011 – AAEC/Automotive Parts Distributors: Best of the Best Award for achieving Business Management Excellence
- 2011 – AAIA Head of the Class Award: Recognition of our investment in our Employees, Education and Training (1st Canadian shop to be recognized for this award)
- 2022 – CARS Magazine: Shop of the Year – in recognition of our exemplary Service and Leadership in the Canadian Aftermarket Automotive Industry
Our business is proud to be licensed with the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council and ACDelco to provide the best possible service for our customers.
