A new chapter in local automotive care officially began on Friday, July 3rd, as James Auto & Diesel celebrated its highly anticipated grand opening. Located in a historic garage in Elysian, the newly minted shop welcomed neighbors, clients, and supporters for a celebration filled with food, giveaways, and community spirit.
Established in 2026 as a division of Steve James Excavating, James Auto & Diesel is built on a foundation of family values, integrity, and deep local roots. For Office Manager Nick James, the venture is deeply personal. “I grew up in Elysian my entire life,” James said. “This location actually used to be a mechanic shop years ago, and we’re even using some of the original equipment. It feels great to bring that history back to life.”
The concept for James Auto & Diesel grew out of practical, hands-on experience. Operating Steve James Excavating meant maintaining a massive fleet of heavy machinery and trucks in-house. Over the years, the team worked closely with various repair specialists, learning the ins and outs of the industry.
Eventually, they realized they could turn that hard-earned expertise into a major benefit for the entire community. “We did a lot of maintenance on our own trucks,” James explained. “We took all that experience and decided to turn it into our gain—and our communities, too.”
Since officially taking over the space on May 1st, the team spent a busy few weeks organizing the shop and stocking inventory before opening their doors. The response from the community during their initial “soft” opening phase was immediate.
Demand has been so high that the shop—which currently operates with one full-time mechanic, James managing the office and estimates and a few hands assisting—is already looking to hire another full-time mechanic to keep up with the workload.
James Auto & Diesel offers comprehensive services for standard cars as well as large-scale diesel machinery, including semi-trucks, dump trucks, and heavy rigs. Operating from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, the shop provides standard maintenance, precision alignments, and on-site mobile service, with plans to expand into towing services in the future.
The grand opening took place on July 3rd, which ran from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and was designed to give back to the town that has supported the James family for generations.
Attendees toured the updated shop while enjoying a delicious spread of donuts, bear claws, and ham and turkey sliders. Visitors also had the chance to “spin the wheel” to win a variety of James Auto & Diesel and Steve James Excavating swag, including T-shirts, hats, coasters, pens, and even items from a special Hot Wheels collection.
“We are incredibly excited to officially serve the Elysian area,” said James. “We wanted this opening to not just be about us, but about supporting the community that keeps us all rolling.”
Business Info at a Glance:
- Name: James Auto & Diesel (A division of Steve James Excavating)
- Location: Elysian, MN
- Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Services: Auto and heavy diesel repair, fleet maintenance, alignments, and on-site emergency mobile service.
