×
×
homepage logo

If it’s broke, Rucker will fix it

Brandon Rucker’s shop, Rucker’s Repair, is his dream come true

By Kevin Mertens - Staff Writer | Oct 23, 2023

Brandon Rucker stands outside of his shop located along Highway 109 in Wells. Rucker opened his business in Wells earlier this year in May. He performs tune-ups, works on electrical systems, fixes brakes and just about anything else that may need service on a vehicle. He also sells and installs tires.

Brandon Rucker discovered his love of fixing things at a very young age.

“I was always breaking things so I had to learn to fix them,” he says with a laugh.

Now, as an adult, Rucker owns and operates Rucker’s Repair located at 10 Third Street, in Wells. Now, he does repairs for other people.

“I started fixing bikes and moved on from there,” he explains. “I grew up doing mechanic work.”

In May of this year, he bought the repair shop where he operates from Jeff Geise.

“Having my own shop has been a dream of mine since I was a kid,” Rucker says.

He has made his dream come true.

“I don’t prefer to work for someone else. Whether this (owning my own shop) was a good idea, well, that remains to be seen.,” he says smiling.

Rucker graduated from United South Central High School in 2005 and then took auto technician classes at Riverland College in Albert Lea. He is married to Amanda and they have one son, Brayden.

“I moved around a bit and had different mechanic jobs before moving back to Wells and eventually opening my own place,” Rucker comments.

His building is quite commonly referred to as Bill’s Standard Service. It was once owned by current Faribault County commissioner Bill Groskreutz.

“There was originally a cafe on the west end of the building,” Groskreutz recalls.

Rucker confirms what Groskreutz said and shares there is still a basement underneath where the cafe was.

“I think it was Bill who put in the concrete floor and turned it into a stall for working on cars,” Rucker adds. “We just use the basement for storage.”

“It was actually a wooden floor that we replaced,” Groskreutz clarifies. “We put in the concrete floor in 1973.”

Rucker reveals he actually had worked at what is now his shop back in the early 2000s.

“It was 16 or 17 years ago I think. I was the last person to pump gas when it was a full-service station,” Rucker says.

Now, as a one-man shop, Rucker finds he stays plenty busy.

“I’m the only employee,” he notes. “Brayden might come and hang out and assist me a little, but for the most part, I am on my own.”

Rucker offers a wide variety of services at his shop.

“I perform tune-ups, do transmission work, electrical system work, maintain brake systems and sell and install tires. I do everything from installing a new alternator to fixing a leak in a cooling system,” he says. “And, I work on pretty much all makes of cars.”

When asked what car owners neglect the most in maintaining their vehicles, he quickly lists three items.

“Many people do not change their oil as often as they should or even check their oil level,” he comments. “People also can have a tendency to not pay attention to their tires in regards to running them at the proper inflation or not replacing them when the tread is too worn. Brakes are the other thing people tend to neglect. Too often people will wait until they are grinding before they bring their vehicle in to get them worked on.”

And, what should vehicle owners be doing to make sure their cars, SUVs and pickups will make it through the long Minnesota winter?

“I would be sure and get the anti-freeze tested so a person would know it is strong enough for the cold temperatures we get and I would also make sure a person’s vehicle has a good battery,” he replies. “Next, make sure your tires have good traction for driving on snow-covered roads. Finally, it is just a good practice to check all of your fluid levels.”

Rucker says the technology that goes into how a vehicle operates has changed a great deal over the last 20 years.

“There was a time when I could just listen to a car and have a pretty good idea what was wrong with it,” Rucker says. “Now, you need a scan tool before you can do anything. Vehicles are more computerized and more electronically based. It makes it more difficult to learn how to repair them.”

Rucker has two stalls at his shop, one on the east end and one on the west end.

“I have two stalls I can use,” he shares. “I do not do wheel alignments. The services people probably need the most are oil changes, brake work and tires.”

While he will work on any make, Rucker admits he loves working on the traditional American brands, GM, Chevrolet, Ford and Chrysler/Dodge the most.

“They each have their pluses and minuses,” he comments. “People have lots to choose from these days.”

Rucker is open Monday through Friday. He begins each day at 8:30 a.m. and tries to leave the shop by 5:30 p.m.

He also talks about his dreams for the future.

“I’d love to be able to hand it over to Brayden some day,” he adds.

But, for now, Rucker stays busy helping people keep their vehicles in proper operating condition.

“I really enjoy meeting new people who come into the shop and need some work done on their car,” Rucker says. “And, I have been happy and thankful for all of the repeat customers I have. They keep me busy, but that is a good thing.”