ABC Auto and Salvage expands operations

ABC Auto Service and Salvage has expanded its operations in Brandon with a larger facility at 601 17th St. East, which has brought in more customers, consolidated its operations and increased its workforce.

Owner Sam Mulaw said the business, which has operated for about 15 years, now has about five employees, up from two at its previous location.

“The shop, which measures about 6,000 square feet and sits on a roughly three-acre property, cost close to $950,000 to $1 million to construct,” he told the Sun.

“The expansion has grown the business and brought more clients. It has also made the day-to-day operation more efficient by bringing activities that were previously spread across different locations under one roof.”

ABC Auto and Salvage previously operated from a property at 1510 18th St. North, in the former Fountain Tire building. Mulaw said he eventually left that location after the property owner wanted to expand and bought him out.

The business then returned to its original site, where the new facility was built. Construction began in October 2023, with the concrete poured in December, and the business moved into the building around January 2024.

The larger facility has allowed the business to handle more customers while continuing to provide a range of automotive services.

The company performs engine and transmission changes, brake work and safety inspections, among other automotive services. It has offered safety inspections for about seven or eight years.

The property also accommodates a large number of vehicles, with Mulaw estimating there are between 100 and 150 vehicles in the yard, including scrap vehicles.

The salvage side of the operation involves removing usable parts like batteries, alternators, doors and hoods from vehicles before the remaining metal is sent to a recycler, he said.

Vehicles and parts have been acquired over the years from Brandon and surrounding communities, as well as occasionally from Winnipeg.

Mulaw said the salvage-sales component has become more than he wants to handle, and he is gradually trying to move away from that side of the business, although customers still occasionally contact the company looking for parts.

Mulaw credited Community Futures Westman with helping complete the current building.

“We received financing from the organization when we needed funding to finish construction,” he said. “Their assistance made it possible to finish the shop.”

The expansion represents another stage in Mulaw’s long business journey in Brandon. Originally from Ethiopia, he has lived in Canada for 35 years, including about 25 years in the Wheat City.

Before establishing ABC Auto and Salvage, Mulaw worked in other businesses, including a convenience store. He also completed a mechanic course at Red River College after receiving assistance through Employment Insurance in 1996.

He said Brandon residents have been a major part of his success since he settled in the city in 2001.

“Brandon and Brandon people are blessing for me,” he said.

Mulaw said starting and expanding a business can be difficult because of financing requirements, regulations and the costs associated with establishing a new operation.

Despite those challenges, he said his experience has allowed him to build a business that now employs more people and serves customers from Brandon and the surrounding area.

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