ETOBICOKE, Ont. – Toronto-area customers of OK Tire are lauding the grand opening of the chain’s newly revamped Etobicoke location, a one-of-a-kind facility that boasts quick lube, alignment, in-house parts, and a spring shop in addition to tire repair.

Key suppliers and customers for the franchise were invited to celebrate the completion of the year-long project at a barbecue event Sept. 23.

“The reaction of the customers (has been) incredible,” said Dwayne Croft, co-owner of the OK Tire location, along with his brothers Darryl and Dale. “People are really happy now that there is a local place that they can bring their trucks and have all services done in the one location. They don’t have to go to the dealer for something and then somewhere else for tires; they can get it all done under one roof. The key part of this business is how convenient it is for our customers.”

The new facility (at 61 Shorncliffe Rd.) includes 14 bays and 20,000 sq.-ft. set on a 1.7-acre property, which the company says provides ample space for trucks and trailers to maneuver about the yard. One of the key features of the redesign and expansion of the facility was the inclusion of Envirolube: an all-fibreglass, modular shield used with the tanks at the OK location.

“It’s a modular system which offers a fiberglass shell that keeps oil from entering the soil or the concrete below,” said Darryl Croft. “It comes pre-made with lights, ventilation, gear lube, oil and grease so there are no openings that can contaminate the land. It is very bright – a gel finish, white coat – so it is easy to see any problems that may exist under a vehicle. It has two rolling jacks with rolling oil pans and a built-in sump pump that quickly evacuates any of the fluids that come off a truck. It is very easy for the techs to work in; it’s wide and comfortable. One of the drawbacks of the lube, historically, is the dark, dingy, smelly pit. This is much more pleasant.”

The Etobicoke facility is the first OK Tire location in the country to use Envirolube and it has also been granted LEED approval (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for use of the technology.

Another unique feature at the newly reopened facility is the inclusion of an in-house spring shop, which translates to quicker service for customers, according to Dwayne Croft, thanks, in part, to the shop’s drive-on Hunter alignment hoist. “If there is any spring damage, u-bolts or pins we have them ready to go and ready to repair.”

Also new to the Etobicoke facility is its truck parts business, with the assistance of TruckPro.

“We wholesale truck parts to local garages. For our own use, it’s good to have parts in-house so that we don’t have to run out and get them all the time from the suppliers,” said Dale Croft. “We stock the most common parts for trucks here in the building. That is also a fairly unique feature that most other shops don’t have.”

In addition to partnerships with Envirolube, Hunter, and TruckPro, Delo and Mobil will be acting as the OK location’s key oil brands, while tire suppliers will include Bridgestone, Toyo, Continental and Kumho. Alan Light also provided much of the oil equipment, according to the company.

“There are very few shops out there that offer a complete range of services under one roof. The result of that is convenience for the customer and there is less downtime which, of course, is extremely costly,” said Darryl Croft.