Cyr & Sons Repair, a true family business

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — When it comes to trusting someone with your vehicle repairs, there is something to be said for a small-town, family-owned business.
    Cyr and Sons Repair of Houlton is precisely that, having spent the last 15 years building a solid customer base through hard work, quick turnaround and convenient service.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo
ALL IN THE FAMILY — Cyr & Sons Repair in Houlton is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2012. Owned by Brent Cyr, middle, his two sons, Aaron,  left, and Levi also work  in the shop.
    Brent Cyr started his own repair business in 1997 on the Bangor Road, after working for one of Houlton’s larger car dealerships. He opened his own shop at the former Sloat’s property and spent two-and-a-half years at that location, enjoying much success.
    In fact, business was so good that he saved up enough money to buy his own building, thus the move to 7 Sugarloaf St. in November, 2000.
    His business is now celebrating its 15th anniversary.
    “I really wanted to have my own building,” Brent said. “It just made more sense rather than paying someone rent. The opportunity came up to buy this building and I jumped at it.”
    Prior to Brent Cyr purchasing the building, it was home to Houlton Truck.
    “I was a little bit nervous about moving here, because location is the key to everything,” he said. “Out there (on the Bangor Road) people would come to me, but I didn’t know if they would follow to the new location.”
    Sure enough, many of those customers did follow as business has not only remained steady, but increased in recent years. People seem to feel more comfortable bringing their vehicle to a smaller, private mechanic, he said.
    Brent Cyr has more than 34 years of experience working on vehicles. A self-taught mechanic, fixing cars was something that just came naturally for him, so once he graduated high school he quickly found work in the automotive industry.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo
UNDER THE HOOD — Levi Cyr checks out a vehicle during a routine auto checkup.
    “I like to joke that all my training came from the school of hard knocks,” Brent said. “Anything I needed to learn how to fix, I picked up a book and figured it out.”
    Performing even the most routine work on a vehicle has become more challenging as automobiles have become more technologically advanced and computer dependant. Even simple things as oil changes can be more time consuming, Brent said, because of where filters are now positioned in newer vehicles.
    “There’s no question vehicles are harder to work on today than they were 30 years ago,” he said.
    In the early days of his own business, Brent had two employees helping out. His two children Levi and Aaron were often found tinkering in their father’s shop and as fate would have it, both found themselves following in their father’s footsteps pursuing careers in automotive mechanics.
    Both sons completed courses in automotive at Northern Maine Community College and now all three work side-by-side in the shop, which presents both a set of rewards and challenges. Levi has been with the business for the past five years, while Aaron came on board two years ago.
    “I grew up around the whole auto repair thing, so it seemed like a natural fit for me,” Levi said. “I was always following my dad around when he went to Gramp’s home in Danforth to work on trucks for truck pulls.”
    It’s a similar story for Aaron.
    “I grew up around it, and I always had an interest in working on cars and trucks,” Aaron said.
    “These guys have always worked around cars,” Brent said.
    Brake lines and fuel lines are some of the most common repairs performed today, said Levi. Check engine lights are another common fix as more and more vehicles now have multiple sensors that can trigger the alert on their car.
    “Our strength is that when you bring your car in, the person behind the counter listening to your problem, knows their stuff,” Brent said. “It’s much better for me to talk directly with the customer.”
    Cyr and Sons Repair perform virtually all aspects of automotive repair, with the exception of tire alignments and air conditioning. They are also an official Fisher plow agent and repair specialist. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, contact Cyr and Sons Repair at 532-9147.