Port Alberni’s Tar Binng, has been is the automotive business for most of his life and says what he enjoys most about the job is working with the public.
“Any business is a people business so when you’re good with public then anything is possible,” Binng said.
Binng moved to Port Alberni from India when he was 15 years old and said his love for automotive work developed in a high school mechanics class.
Binng dropped out of school in Grade 11 to take on a position as a mechanics apprentice with Chisholm Towing, where he worked for many years.
Eventually Binng began working at a Shell gas station on 10th Avenue and Redford Street prior to buying his first business.
“I managed that one for about a year and a half and said well, I’d like to be on my own,” he said.
In 1980 Binng opened a Texaco gas station on 10th Avenue.
After running the gas station for about 10 years, Binng said Texaco Canada sold out.
“Texaco Canada was no more so I had to get out of there because that property belonged to the shopping centre,” he said.
In 1990 Binng bought property on Third Avenue, that remains Tar’s Auto Repairs & Sales today.
“About 10 years ago, we had a lot of property, so we opened up a used car lot too along with it,” Binng said.
Beginning with only about six or seven used cars in the 90’s, today the lot is full with more than 60 vehicles ready to be sold.
“Business is always up and down, in the end it all works out,” Binng said. “Port Alberni is a good town, to me it’s been good.”
Binng begins his day around 5 a.m., exercises and heads to work for 9 a.m. where he runs the shop with his son Tarmeet.
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