One of Longview’s oldest buildings will be leaving a void in the village’s landscape within the coming months.
The original Hayden’s Machine Shop, which opened in 1946, has been purchased by Longview Leather and will be torn down to make room for a larger, modern building. The shop has operated as a car wash on Morrison Road since 1974.
Winnie Hayden, whose late husband Denis’ family started the machine shop, said it’s sad to see it go, but it’s time to move on.
“It’s a pretty old building, one of the oldest in Longview,” said Hayden. “It’s been a landmark in the village forever and it’s sad to see it go, but progress.”
Denis’ parents, Homer and Muriel Hayden, first opened the shop in the 40s. Homer had worked for a company that supplied parts for the oil and gas industry, Barber Machining. When Barber moved to Calgary, Homer decided to open his own shop in Longview, she said.
In the beginning, Hayden’s Machine Shop picked up a lot of work from local oil and gas companies. As time went on, the business expanded to making brands and pens for farmers, shafts and other parts for Cargill, and repairing equipment.
“The motto of the shop has always been, ‘You break it, we fix it,’” said Hayden. “Pretty much anything metal we work on.”
She moved to Longview in 1987, when she met Denis and the pair were married. In 1997, Hayden began working in the shop, doing the books for a busy business.
They worked together in the shop for about 17 years, until Denis passed away in May 2014.
Selling the original building is just the first step for Hayden.
“My husband didn’t want me to keep it running if he wasn’t here, and I’ve kept it running for three years,” said Hayden. “But I’d like to sell the shop also. I’m not getting any younger.”
Denis’ children never took an interest in the family business, she said. His son became a teacher and the four girls were married and moved away in different directions. The most involvement the children had was being tasked to clean the shop while they were growing up, she said.
Not all the memories of the first Hayden’s Machine Shop will be lost – Longview Leather plans to remove and repurpose much of the original wood – some of it bearing brands from local ranches – from the inside of the old building, she said.
As for the shop itself, she said she hopes someone local steps up to take it on before she has to list it for sale.
Over the years the size of Hayden’s Machine Shop has changed drastically, she said. These days, it’s just Hayden and long-time employee Jack Groenwold in the shop.
“Jack’s been with us for 38 years,” said Hayden. “He’s my main man. He knows more about the workings of the shop than I do.”
Groenwold does all of the machine work and welding alone, she said. Though Hayden has had to learn to order materials and manage the operations of the shop itself since Denis passed, it’s been Groenwold who kept it going, she said.
“Most of the credit for the shop still being open goes to him, definitely,” said Hayden. “He’s really stepped up since my husband passed away. Without him the shop wouldn’t be open.”
Groenwold said the work keeps him going – there’s always a different job and a different challenge in the shop and no two days are alike.
“There are so many different things to do here, always,” said Groenwold. “I like the people out here and I like the work.”
One of Longview’s oldest buildings will be leaving a void in the village’s landscape within the coming months.
The original Hayden’s Machine Shop, which opened in 1946, has been purchased by Longview Leather and will be torn down to make room for a larger, modern building. The shop has operated as a car wash on Morrison Road since 1974.
Winnie Hayden, whose late husband Denis’ family started the machine shop, said it’s sad to see it go, but it’s time to move on.
“It’s a pretty old building, one of the oldest in Longview,” said Hayden. “It’s been a landmark in the village forever and it’s sad to see it go, but progress.”
Denis’ parents, Homer and Muriel Hayden, first opened the shop in the 40s. Homer had worked for a company that supplied parts for the oil and gas industry, Barber Machining. When Barber moved to Calgary, Homer decided to open his own shop in Longview, she said.
In the beginning, Hayden’s Machine Shop picked up a lot of work from local oil and gas companies. As time went on, the business expanded to making brands and pens for farmers, shafts and other parts for Cargill, and repairing equipment.
“The motto of the shop has always been, ‘You break it, we fix it,’” said Hayden. “Pretty much anything metal we work on.”
She moved to Longview in 1987, when she met Denis and the pair were married. In 1997, Hayden began working in the shop, doing the books for a busy business.
They worked together in the shop for about 17 years, until Denis passed away in May 2014.
Selling the original building is just the first step for Hayden.
“My husband didn’t want me to keep it running if he wasn’t here, and I’ve kept it running for three years,” said Hayden. “But I’d like to sell the shop also. I’m not getting any younger.”
Denis’ children never took an interest in the family business, she said. His son became a teacher and the four girls were married and moved away in different directions. The most involvement the children had was being tasked to clean the shop while they were growing up, she said.
Not all the memories of the first Hayden’s Machine Shop will be lost – Longview Leather plans to remove and repurpose much of the original wood – some of it bearing brands from local ranches – from the inside of the old building, she said.
As for the shop itself, she said she hopes someone local steps up to take it on before she has to list it for sale.
Over the years the size of Hayden’s Machine Shop has changed drastically, she said. These days, it’s just Hayden and long-time employee Jack Groenwold in the shop.
“Jack’s been with us for 38 years,” said Hayden. “He’s my main man. He knows more about the workings of the shop than I do.”
Groenwold does all of the machine work and welding alone, she said. Though Hayden has had to learn to order materials and manage the operations of the shop itself since Denis passed, it’s been Groenwold who kept it going, she said.
“Most of the credit for the shop still being open goes to him, definitely,” said Hayden. “He’s really stepped up since my husband passed away. Without him the shop wouldn’t be open.”
Groenwold said the work keeps him going – there’s always a different job and a different challenge in the shop and no two days are alike.
“There are so many different things to do here, always,” said Groenwold. “I like the people out here and I like the work.”
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