Katikati Auto Electrician Allan Crapp Retires After 48 Years

One of Katikati's longest-serving retailers has closed his doors for the last time. Allan Crapp, 71, shut up Auto Electrical Services Katikati Ltd on 31 July after 48 years in business — a tenure that saw him serve multiple generations of local families, with grandparents, parents and grandchildren all becoming regulars over the decades.

Crapp opened Katikati's first auto electrical store at the end of 1977 for Tauranga couple Chubb and Alison Howarth, who ran Chubb's Auto Electrics in the city. He had trained as an auto electrician in Gate Pā through an apprenticeship at WW McIlwraith & Co Ltd, after work experience arranged by Tauranga Boys' College. His specialty was older and classic vehicles — a skill customers say is increasingly rare. One customer noted he had a particular knack for diagnosing problems with older cars that younger mechanics often struggle with.

Beyond his workshop, Crapp earned wide community respect for donating all used batteries collected at his shop to Katikati Rotary's battery recycling project — a contribution spanning roughly 20 years. The club recycles the batteries and is paid for the lead inside, generating thousands of dollars for community initiatives. Katikati Rotary honoured him with a Paul Harris Fellowship in October 2022, one of only five ever awarded to non-Rotarians in Katikati in more than 50 years.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).