Charles Aoun believed in glue pull repair—and made everyone else, too
Story by ALLISON ROGERS
Charles Aoun is proof that, if you stick to an idea you believe in, you can make it go far.
The founder of Quebec-based CamAuto Pro and icon in the development of glue pull repair for the collision industry, Charles began his career on the bodyshop floor. Today, his product is trusted by hundreds of collision centres and is sold in markets across the globe. You can find Charles in a different corner of the world every week—probably in a bodyshop demonstrating the magic of glue pull repair.
Collision Repair editor Allison Rogers chatted with Charles to learn more about his history in the industry and how CamAuto Pro came to be.
Collision Repair: How did you become involved with the collision repair industry?
Charles Aoun: I worked for my brother for about a month—he had a collision centre—but I wanted to work for someone that wasn’t my family. So I started working for another guy and learned all of the basics. It wasn’t as easy to get spare parts to where we were, back then. So everything was a repair. It gave me a really great framework and now I have more than 35 years experience as a technician.
CR: So how did you start with glue pulling and glue pull repair (GPR)?
CA: I was invited to both the Ford and Chrysler plants in Detroit, Michigan. I saw all the new welding robots and new materials they were using.
There was a lot of foam in the rocker panels of their new cars—so welding was obviously not ideal, given the time constraint and the fire risk. I started thinking of ways we could repair these new cars and came up with glue pulling for the collision industry.
CR: What did the industry think of glue pulling when you first began promoting it?
CA: People never believed that the glue would stick and hold. I’d get this question everywhere we brought the product. So I used to jump on panels and then fix the dent during product demos. Then they’d believe me.
It took a while to sell our first unit, and a lot of hard work. I was close to giving up when a client called me at 3 a.m. and said they needed our system. I brought it right over and made the sale.
Now, in our seven years of selling glue pulling kits, we’ve never had one returned.
NAPA also supported us very early on, and a lot of others started believing in us after that.
A lot of people think GPR relies on paintless dent repair (PDR) techniques, which isn’t true in the way CamAuto Pro teaches things. You don’t need to know PDR skills to use our GPR system.
I truly believe that every collision repair facility should have a glue pull system—it doesn’t even have to be our brand!
CR: What’s new or in store next for CamAuto Pro?
CA: Our products are different—I’d say 80 percent of the product is original; invented by us. We launch new products at every major trade show. We have 12 products planned to launch before SEMA this year.
We’ve recently made a deal to sell in Australia, and we are now listed in the GYS catalog in France. We’re working on the European market next.
But it’s not just about selling glue. It’s not like anyone could start selling glue pull kits and be successful. We have a package deal—we have a great product, great support and great training. You need to offer that entire deal, and be good at it, in order to thrive. \
CR: What’s been the proudest moment of your career?
CA: I really have two: making our first-ever sale is the first. That was huge, and it’s the reason we’re still here today. The second moment: when I hired my first employee.
I also take great pride in supporting the future generation of collision repairers—I was actually just at Skills USA with our GPR system.
CR: You mentioned 12 new products between now and SEMA. With so much new product, how do you generate new ideas?
CA: My history as a technician—that’s how I come up with ideas. I fix people’s cars in my own shop, usually for free. If I find a dent that I can’t pull with what I have, that’s when I’ll start to build a new product.
