ST. PAUL – After over two decades of operating on St. Paul’s main street, loyal customers of Complete Auto may be wondering where they can turn to for their automotive repair needs, but mechanic Bryce Prima and long-time owner Terry Tritthardt have not gone far.
One mile west of St. Paul, Whitecloud Mechanical is a busy shop offering both heavy-duty and automotive repair. While the last few years have offered plenty of changes for the business, the team has grown by two with Prima and Tritthardt joining the ranks at Whitecloud.
Wearing brand new overalls with the Whitecloud brand, Tritthardt compliments Prima on the mechanic’s new attire, as the two take some time to speak about the recent transition, along with Whitecloud Mechanical owner and mechanic James McGonigal.
Moving to St. Paul from Ontario to be closer to family and friends in Saskatchewan, Tritthardt opened Complete Auto just over 23 years ago. In August of this year, the company made the tough decision to close its doors.
“My dad was a mechanic in Regina, so I guess I followed that,” says Tritthardt, when asked what lead him to the career.
He says he has grown fond of doing business in a small town.
“Your customers are more than customers - they’re friends,” says Tritthardt. And many of the customers at Complete Auto were very loyal, he adds.
When word got out that Complete Auto would be shutting down, McGonigal decided to make a visit to the long-time business.
Prior to the pandemic, Whitecloud Mechanical was offering automotive repair work, along with heavy duty mechanics. When the pandemic hit, McGonigal downsized his business, focusing just on heavy duty mechanics.
Then, things began to grow once again. On Nov. 4, the business relocated to a shop one mile west of St. Paul along Highway 29. With “room to expand,” the crew is now back up to a dozen people, which includes the recent additions of Prima and Tritthardt.
“We decided to team up,” says McGonigal, who started Whitecloud Mechanical in February of 2015.
Getting another mechanic in the shop, and the expertise that both Prima and Tritthardt poses is a bonus to the growing business, along with the relationships they have built with their customers over the years.
McGonigal acknowledges that Tritthardt’s main concern was that his many long-time customers from Complete Auto would be taken care of - and now they can be.
Customers can reach Whitecloud Mechanical at (780) 227-6202.
