SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A longtime Yellowknife business's ambitions are free to take off thanks to the company's relocation to a substantially larger facility.

Members of the Gibeault family who run Ron's Auto Service and Equipment Rentals, from left, Brent, Ron, Joan and Gord, stand in front of their new Kam Lake facility, which, in terms of square footage, is nearly 10-times larger than the business' former Woolgar Avenue location. - Guy Quenneville/NNSL photo

Ron's Auto Service Ltd. & Equipment Rentals, a family-run business that opened in 1971 and stopped offering auto repair service to focus on equipment rental and repair in the mid-1990s, moved last winter to a comparatively giant 27,000-square-foot location in the Kam Lake Industrial Park from a 2,800-square-foot spot on Woolgar Avenue.

The company, run by Ron Gibeault, his wife Joan, and sons Gord and Brent, celebrated the move Friday with a barbecue.

"We'd been planning on moving for three years," said Gord, who is in charge of rentals.

Gord said the company can now store much more equipment, which is used in industries like mining, reclamation and new construction.

"We weren't able to fully service those industries because of the constraints of the old building," he said.

More space will translate into cost savings for both the business and its customers, he added.

"By getting bigger, you also combine more when doing your purchasing. I can buy a pallet of things instead of (buying items individually), which gives me a better deal. And it's a saving that can be passed on to the public."

The company's inventory has spiked since the move.

For example, at the old location, the Gibeaults could only offer four Genie lifts; now they have eight, something Ron, who founded the business, is especially excited about.

"The Genie lifts are taking over from scaffolding," said Ron.

"They're quicker to set up. You have a lot of set-up time with scaffolding. With a Genie lift, you drop it off and you can use it immediately."

The company has also added some new lines.

"We just picked up the distributor ship for Kubota, a line of tractors and excavators," said Ron.

The bright orange machines dotted the front yard on Friday.

The company now also offers an Envirodrum, a unit for vacuuming fuel spills.

Equipment isn't the only area in which Ron's has been able to spread its wings. The company has nearly doubled its staff since the move occurred, going from eight to 15 employees.

"I'm very proud to be able to do this," said Ron of the expansion.

"And I like to be able to supply the North and Yellowknifers with this equipment to make their jobs easier."

Jim Eirikson, president of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, has visited Ron's new location and said he was impressed by the new location and the increased amount of equipment that's available.

"I think it's amazing how much the business has grown over the last few years," said Eirikson.