HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-07-01, Page 21Pe
A20 - Godench Signal -Star, Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Photo courtesy of Westcoast Photography
One of Goderich's largest employers and a staple in the community, McGee Motors is celebrating 80 years of business in 2009. Above, staff and family pose for a
group shot to commemorate the 80th anniversary of one of Goderich's longest -running family-owned businesses.
McGee Motors celebrates 80 years of family
- -Gerard Cr.....a
signal -star sue .
Taking time for your custom-
ers, taking care of your staff and
taking pride in your community;
there is good reason McGee Mo-
tors Ltd. has survived 80 years cif
business in Goderich.
The auto dealership has had
a colourful history in town, one
centred around the community
and one which has made them
one of Goderich's longest and
largest employers to date.
The McGee Motors story be-
gan in April, 1929, when Reg
McGee bought out brother Jack's
car business - a sub -dealer for
Chrysler -Plymouth.
Reg opened up a small shop on
Hamilton Street where Dundee
Private Investors is currently lo-
cated. The McGees worked hard
throughout the Great Depres-
sion, and Ken said selling cars
involved the entire family..
"My father would buy an old
Model T for twenty dollars, my
mother would be up half the night
stuffing all the horsehair back in
the seats and stitching them up,"
he said. "Then dad would try to
sell that for $35."
In the 1940s, auto Manufactur-
ing was superceded by the war
effort, and factories were pro-
ducing military equipment rather
than cars:
Ken said the McGee family
car business had to adapt accord-
ingly, and so Reg focused on
service, claiming "Rcg McGee is
the man to see" in a 1942 adver-
tising slogan.
Reg was very fond of horses,
and often would accept the ani-
mals as part of a trade-in for a
new vehicle.
"It was nothing for him to take
anything on dealer trade," said
Ken, "Horses, equipment, farm
animals.."
Brother Alvin recalled a par-
ticularly full stable one year.
"One winter we had 40 hors-
es to feed," he said. "Most had
come in on deals of one kind or
another."
In 1947, following the pur-
chase of five lots on Hamilton
Street, Reg built "one of the most
modern garages of the day," Ken
said. Hoists, overhead equipment
and a state of the art garage her-
alded a new era of service for the
McGee family business, and Ken
recalled how he sold his first car
to his future -wife's grandfather
at age 12 - a 1952 Dodge.
"I took in a '45 Chevrolet
Coupe on it," he said.
The Hamilton Street building
lasted nearly 60 years. In 2004,
the McGee Motors building on
Suncoast Drive was officially
opened, complete with a huge
showroom, service and pick-up
bays, which Ken said still al-
lows customers to "feel like they
are driving it off the showroom
floor."
Reg and wife Della had four
sons: Len, Alvin, Ron and Ken,
All four were destined to be in
the car business, with Ken and
Alvin still at the dealership to-
day.
When Alvin sold his share to
son Martyn, it marked the third
generation of McGee% to add
their name to the family business,
and Ken said things arc looking
The above mortgage, signed by
Reg and John (Jack) McGee in
1929, marks the birth of McGee
Motors in Goderich,
good for a fourth generation to
take the helm, Ken's son, Darcy,
also works at the dealership.
The feeling of. family is not
limited to whose name is on the
sign. Ask any employee at Mc-
Gee Motors and they will tell
you the feeling is more that of a
family than of staff.
"it'sc a good family atmosphere
here," said John Good. Good has
been working at McGee Motors
for 32 years, getting a job right
out of school.
More than just providing a
paycheque, McGee's provided
opportunities he said.
"I think we all started out on
the oil rack," he mused. "But
then I moved on to my appren-
ticeship."
Marlow Austin said job secu-
rity and community involvement
have made McGee Motors the
only place he would, even think
about working
"They've been;.Ott the com-
munity for 80 Oars," he said.
"Where else would. you, want to.
work?"
The pride the mechanics take
in their work is apparent in their
straight -forward approach with
customers.
No unnecessary work is done
or sold to customers, and that
comes from the top down, they
said.
"You have to be proud to work
in a place as honest as this," 'said
Good.
Service manager Brian Fish-
er has been at McGees for 12
years.
The open-door policy at the
dealership allows both he and
Ken to have first-hand contact
with customers either on the
sales floor or the service hay. He
added that support also stretches
to the Goderich communtiy.
"The Makes are very gener-
ous and always in full support of
the community," he said.
McGee Motors has always
been strongly involved in t,oder-
ich, providing funding, facilities,
volunteers or whatever other
type of support is needed.
Two weeks ago, the Special
Olympics torch run enjoyed their
annual wrap-up barbecue at the
dealership, and even during the
interview, Ken was busy going
back and forth from the picnick-
ers to the dealership, making
sure everyone took a moment()
of their visit home with them.
McGees is a proud sponsor of
many sports teams, and in par-
ticular, the Reg McGee trophy
is still awarded to the 'B' Cham -
.pion team each and every Young
Canada Week.
Each year the dealership holds
a car seat clinic, working hand-
in-hand with the health unit help-
ing parents protect their children
on the road and has contributed
greatly to the Maitland Medical
Clinic, YMCA and the CT scan-
ner campaigns.
Outside the McGee Motors
business hours, Alvin serves and
has served with the Lions Club
for years while Ken is an active
member of the Rotary Club, and
a past Kinsman.
Community support goes be-
yond cutting a cheque for char-
ity, Ken said. It means keeping
a healthy, happy atmosphere for
staff and acknowledging the re-
sponsibility of being one of the
town's largest employers.
Ken has scrapbooks document-
ing nearly every year in McGee
Motors' history, and through
them all, there are sports teams,
family memories, community
Continued on next page.