Pip’s Power Products is homage to owner’s father

John McCabe has been repairing engines and performing maintenance on any machine with a motor since 1997. He comes by his inclination honestly: “My father and grandfather were mechanics,” he said. “I picked up the trade from them.”

Originally from the LeCenter area, McCabe grew up around machines ranging from snowmobiles to tractors. Whatever needed fixing, his family pretty much did it.

He chose to specialize in indoor and marine engine repair, receiving his education from a technical college in Faribault. He earned an associate degree of applied science in outdoor power while “getting credits on the marine side.”

McCabe has been a Waseca resident for the past 17 years. “My wife and I moved here looking for a nice little community to live in,” he explains. “We both worked in Mankato at the time, so this was the closest thing to what we were looking for.”

Eventually, he realized he wanted to start his own business. The original plan was to get it up and running nine years ago. However, due to circumstances outside his control, things didn’t work out To make up for it, Charlie Mathern, former owner of Charlie’s Hardware (now Ace), offered him a job doing small engine repair.

“I’m thankful to Charlie for giving me that offer,” McCabe reflects. “He helped me get the start I needed, and also gave me a bit of customer service experience.”

After giving McCabe a spot to use his skills for the past nine years, Ace Hardware’s  shop closed down. He decided this was his opportunity to spread his wings and try again at starting a business. The result was Pip’s Power Products, which opened in December in Waseca’s southern industrial district. 

The name “Pip’s Power Products” has deep personal meaning for McCabe. “Pip was my dad’s nickname,” he explains. “He died in 2018. We were originally supposed to do this together.”

While discussing possible business names with a friend, he describes “We were tossing names around, and he asked me what my dad’s nickname was. I said, ‘It was Pip.’ And he said, ‘Well, there you go.’”

When McCabe telephoned his sister and got the same input, the decision was made. “As soon as she suggested I name it after Dad, I hung up,” he reminisces.

Not only does the alliteration have a catchy ring to it, it makes the name easier to remember and brings pleasant memories to mind. “He helped me get started in this business,” McCabe points out. “It’s the least I could do.”

Nowadays, McCabe can be found in the shop working on lawn mowers, chainsaws, speed whips, snow blowers, and other machines. “I also work on mid-size tractors and any lawn and garden equipment. You know, zero turn stuff,” he says.

He typically puts in from ten to thirteen hours a day. “It starts out repairing some projects that I had come in the day before,” he explains. “Then I get the parts and provide customers with progress reports. At the end of the day, I do pickups and deliveries.”

Despite the long hours, he loves the work and can’t imagine doing anything else. “It’s different, for sure,” he admits. “But you don’t have anyone jumping down your throat. I still want to get it all done, though, even if I have to come in on a Saturday or Sunday.”

It took McCabe several years to be able to own his own business, a place to call his. But he never gave up on his dreams. To future entrepreneurs, he has one piece of advice: “Just take the leap. Get it done early. That way, you can fulfill your dreams while you’re young.”