Heather and Steve Hacket own and run Paragon Auto Services in Saskatoon with five technicians. Photo courtesy of Paragon Auto Services

By Lois Tuffin

When Steve Hackett opened Paragon Auto in Saskatoon in 1987, he intended to focus primarily on carburation and fuel injection. After high school, a year at a speed car shop has built on what he learned from his father Elmer.

As customers asked for more, he farmed out less work. Within four years, Hackett found himself running a full-service shop with another passion fueling its growth – classic cars.

“Over the years, my shop foreman, Kelly Gress, and I became classic car buffs so word got around,” he said. “When a guy brings in a hot rod, we make it run the way it should. I would say 40 percent of our work is on cars from the 1970s or older.”

Drivers come from all over Saskatchewan and Alberta due to their reputation for keeping motors running. Hackett relies on local and U.S. suppliers for specialized parts, although they leave body work and interiors to others.

He still works on fuel injection systems and fixes carburetors two to three days a week, sometimes for other shops. Every year, he goes back to his roots when NASCAR Canada comes to town. It uses Paragon as its shop during its annual two-day visit.

However, Hackett outsources air-conditioning  and internal automatic transmissions to another shop.

“We don’t step on each others’ toes,” Hackett said of the network of shops who refer work to one another. “I have a lot of friends in the business.”

Almost 40 years after opening the business, Hackett, 66, said he still has fun even though he spends less time under the hood.

“I enjoy seeing the smile on a guy’s face when he picks up his car,” he said.

Paragon Auto repairs all domestic and foreign vehicles. It also offers one-year warranties on all repairs, parts and labour, with lifetime warranty on selected repairs.

Repair orders often fill the 12-bay shop as five technicians have one vehicle in for diagnostics and another underway as they await parts orders. They have access to a four-wheel alignment rack, a tire balancer, a 14,000-pound hoist and three 12,000-pound hoists.

The shop operates Monday to Friday and services any of the latest model vehicles. In an average week, they turn around 50 to 60 cars.

Gress has been with Paragon Auto Service for 20 years. Most techs stay for five to seven years, with the business’s latest apprentice starting in spring 2025. Hackett said he and other owners share resumes as they try to hire.

Like many shops, Hackett finds it necessary to train recent graduates on the job to get the level of skill required.

“The training isn’t keeping up with the cars,” he noted. “And young people don’t have the same work ethic as previous generations. The best ones are small-town kids who were brought up on farms.”

In particular, he noticed some new hires like to use scan tools and diagnose problems, but don’t want to get their nails dirty to fix them.

Beyond staffing, Hackett finds his biggest challenge is finding and managing costs on parts. Previously, he had problems getting repair information on newer cars, but that is improving.

If he had one piece of advice to share, he would keep it simple. Don’t surprise people with their bills.

“Cars are more complicated and repairs are more expensive,” Hackett said. “There has to be decent pricing on both sides of the counter. I write it down so people know what they’re paying for. As long as you’re upfront and level, they are always okay if they have authorized the work. You always call them back if things go south.”

As a result, he sees a second and third generation of customers coming thanks to integrity and word of mouth. On Google, his shop rated 4.8 stars out of five.

Hackett also credited his wife Heather, who manages the shop, for her excellent memory for customers’ names and needs.

“My dad always said, ‘If you do a good job, the customer will tell two people. If you do a bad job, they tell 10.’ You have to take care of people – and I have.”

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