The owners of the Astron service station on Ballina Rd may be new to the fuel industry, but what they do understand is customer service, which they deliver with a huge smile.
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The service station was badly damaged in the 2022 flood but it has now been reopened by owners Manwinder (Mani) Singh and his wife Sandeep Kaur.
Mani was a farmer, and Sandeep a qualified chef, so there has been a lot to learn.
They arrived in Australia in 2009. They first had a farm at Knockrow and now have a farm at Dunoon where Mani grows blueberries, bananas, custard apples, and vegies, and "whatever is in season".
With a family to support - daughters Sukhneet, 16, and Divneet, 11 - the couple decided to branch out into a different kind of business as a way to secure their future. And so, they bought the service station.
But it has taken some work to rebuild.
"The building was totally damaged by (2022) flood and it had to be fully renovated. We're still working on it," Sandeep said.
"It is growing slowly. We are still learning a lot and getting the store together."
Sandeep said they have worked with Union Fuels to learn the ropes of running a service station.
"We want to establish a successful business," Sandeep said. "Mani is a hard worker and I just want to help him where I can. He's very supportive of our family. I don't have words to describe how hard working he is."
It's a family run business that has the old-time service station customer service - you're likely to find Mani out front helping people find the perfect avocado or pumpkin.
The family still has their farm at Dunoon, and you can buy the produce they grow at the service station. They also sell produce from other farmers from the region.
It's part of their ethos that if they want locals to support them, then they should support locals too.
They do that in part by employing Margeret.
Sandeep and Margaret said they had been hearing from customers about how happy they were that the service station had reopened. Some worried it may not recover after the flood.
The store sells fuel, groceries, fruit and vegetables, hot food, sandwiches, and a coffee machine is on the way.
And there are some exciting plans for the future - Sandeep hopes to sell her homemade samosas and Indian candies at the store in the future.
The service station is open from 6am until about 8pm. But Mani is happy to stay open as long as people need fuel.
