Theo Pauls

Theo started his career as a technician in Kamloops and quickly grew frustrated with the deceptive practices he saw across the industry — shops recommending work that was not needed, keeping customers in the dark about what was actually wrong, and treating people like transactions instead of neighbours. In 1987 he partnered with Tony Walde and opened Okanagan Propane & Automotive in Kelowna with a simple principle: tell people the truth about their vehicle and charge a fair price for honest work.

That principle has not changed. Theo still runs the shop daily alongside Shelley. Customers who have been coming in for decades know him as "Honest Abe" — someone who will tell you what your vehicle needs and, just as importantly, what it does not. He built Okapro on the idea that trust is earned one repair at a time, and after nearly four decades, the repeat business and referrals speak for themselves.

When Tony Walde left the industry in 2008 as propane system installation became more complex and expensive, Theo and Shelley kept the business going with the same founding values. In 2013 they rebranded from Okanagan Propane & Automotive to Okapro Automotive Inc., reflecting the shop's evolution into full-service repair for all makes and models.