Simplicity

Abe Martens, Grand Forks
OK Tire
Grand Forks Credit Union

He doesn’t have email and he doesn’t carry a cell phone. Abe Martens, the father of several grown children and owner of the OK Tire in Grand Forks, which straddles BC’s Boundary country between the Okanagan and Kootenays, likes to keep things simple. His easygoing attitude and sense of humour are a good advertisement for the benefits of life in a smaller community.

“This is the best place on earth,” he says by phone. “There’s no better place. The water’s clean and the air is fresh.”

Born in Toronto in 1948, Abe’s parents brought him to Grand Forks when he was an infant and he hasn’t budged since. Several years ago, the former service station manager decided that he wanted to go into business himself and purchased an OK Tire franchise. But he needed money. So he went into the Grand Forks Credit Union, where he had a personal account. They were able to help him out and his business has proven to be very successful; so successful that he recently expanded.

“I’ve put in a car wash and a doggie wash—you can get rid of all your dog’s tics and fleas. I needed a bid swack of cash.”

His credit union kicked in. It was that easy.

“But now I’m going to have to work till I’m 80,” Abe chuckles. “My girlfriend just turned 60 so I gave her a horse, a blue one…a Ford Mustang!”

People like Abe live in small towns and communities across BC, communities they love and will never leave. BC’s regional credit unions recognize and support local community values by offering members financial options that end up being good for the local community’s economy as a whole, contributing to the overall quality of life.

Small business owners appreciate the accessibility of Grand Forks and other BC credit unions. They turn small business dreams into realities. How simple is that?

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