by Lois Tuffin

Growing up, Spencer MacPherson worked on his stock car after hours in his family’s auto repair shop – never knowing he would one day sign the paycheques of the men around him. He has gratefully soaked up their expertise as he prepares for MacPherson’s Auto Centre’s next chapter.

His grandfather Marvin opened the shop in 1953 in Carleton Place, Ontario (50 km southwest of Ottawa). By the time he moved it to a new location in 1980, the town had grown from 4,700 people to 6,300. In 1990, his son Ross and his wife Laurie bought the shop after a five-year transition. 

Their three sons got into racing go-karts and stock cars, often sponsored by the shop. After graduating high school in 2006, Spencer traveled around, building and setting up race cars. But he found himself back home writing his licence exam in 2010. 

Within five years, he shifted from the floor to the office.

“We had a lot of good techs so we tried this rather than bringing in someone new,” he said. “My parents didn’t want to force the business onto us but I was the only one to show an interest.”

Spencer appreciates the lessons learned from his father and two techs who have been with the MacPhersons for 30 and 43 years experience, respectively. An apprentice and seasoned service advisor rounds out the team.

“The staff all get along,” he added. “I really appreciate them all.”

In 2018, Spencer took over day-to-day operations but officially bought the business with his wife Rebecca in 2023. That same year, his parents moved to Africa to work with a charity. 

Eleven months later, Ross died unexpectedly overseas. Two days later, the shop’s service advisor also died. 

Spencer paused his business training during this period but soon returned to keep the shop running and current. Its services have evolved over the years, specializing in radiators, then offering Drive Clean and detailing before going back to core services.

With six bays, the shop typically sees 140 cars a month with an average repair order of $672. 

Current challenges 

Carleton Place is Canada’s fastest-growing town, now up to more than 15,000 residents. Meanwhile, MacPherson’s Auto Centre is land-locked with no room to expand on its current site. 

Currently, it operates on the west side of the Mississippi River, just off the town’s main downtown thoroughfare. However, the town’s growth is unfolding further east along Highway 7. Therefore, Spencer is contemplating a move east. 

While the shop has a solid base of loyal repeat customers, it also sees many new faces with different expectations. 

“Not everyone is going to be your client and that’s okay,” he said. “You need to know your worth, what you need to pay the bills and have some profit.”

Other than space, he faces three big challenges:

Keeping up with equipment and tooling. After investing in alignment, tire changes and scan tools, he now tracks which vehicles the staff fix most often to gauge the greatest return on investment.

Finding and taking good technical training. “It never ends,” he said. With the best options happening in the United States, he will often shut down the shop to take the full team. They also take monthly online training via NAPA and AVI. 

Maintaining an online presence with social media posts and review responses. “It’s like a full-time job,” he said. 

Spencer has also embraced digital vehicle inspections and AI programs to generate clearer service descriptions for clients. Next, he plans to write standard operating procedures with AI’s assistance. “It’s a big ask but it will be a big time saver,” he added.

Looking ahead, will his sons take over one day?

“They like anything with wheels,” he said. “ If there’s racing on TV, we try to keep them away since they get glued to it. Time will tell.”