By Erin McLaughlin
Peterborough, Ontario — August 15, 2017 — When Jim and Cathy Shirtliff opened a new CARSTAR in Peterborough last April, it was a lot like coming home. Exactly like coming home, in fact. The Shirtliffs have been CARSTAR store owners for 14 years. Their first location, the very successful CARSTAR Markham, is over an hour away. Now, with a new location in their home town, the Shirtliffs enjoy not only a shorter drive to work, but also get to serve their community – Peterborough.
Opening a collision centre in Peterborough was no walk in the park. For over two years, the couple had been searching for the right collision centre to purchase. They finally decided to invest in a vacant building and transform it into their ideal location.
It took over eight months of vigorous renovations, but the Shirtliffs persisted, knowing their efforts would be worth it in the long run. “Peterborough is growing at a rapid rate right now, with expanding subdivisions and an upsurge of new businesses,” commented Cathy.
The 6,000 sq ft. facility was previously a Mercedes dealership and had been vacant for years before they purchased it. Renovations were required from the ground up. The equipment installation was handled by AutoQuip Canada, and includes a GARMAT 3000 series spray booth, a Garmat Tier 1 prep station with bake cycle, a Garmat paint mixing room and a single stall Wedge Clamp frame system with lift. A new parking lot, roof and windows were installed, as well as LED lights and Epoxy flooring throughout the repair facility. The store offers a variety of other features, including full collision and glass repair, as well as detailing. It is equipped with a car wash station, CO2 monitoring, plenty of natural light, a well-equipped kitchen for staff, and the entirely handicap accessible facility has been designed with lean processes in mind.
Roger Turmel of AutoQuip Canada discussed the installation in a recent interview with Collision Repair magazine.
“The building wasn’t originally designed as a bodyshop, but Jim and Cathy developed an efficient layout that maximizes the available space,” says Turmel. “We were also able to help overcome some of the space challenges with equipment modifications.”
Cathy commented on the staff kitchen, stating, “The staff deserve a nice place to enjoy lunches and breaks, it’s little things like that can make a difference. Taking care of our staff is important to us, because we want to make sure it’s a healthy environment for them, so they want to work for us now and in the future.” She added, “We know that it’s crucial to pay attention to maintaining modern, clean facilities with happy staff, so customers feel comfortable trusting us with their repairs.”
Educating customers and ensuring they receive service that is unique to their needs is a common practice at CARSTAR Peterborough. “You have to educate the customer on their options. I always ask, ‘how long do you intend on holding onto your vehicle?’ If it’s more than five years, I might suggest a larger repair investment,” said Jim.
Often, the Shirtiffs give customers a tour of their facility to build trust about where their vehicle is being repaired. They also created an inviting reception area where their customers will feel comfortable. “There’s a historical cliché that the collision repair industry is a male dominated industry. Fifty percent of our clients are female, and we want them to feel comfortable here,” said Cathy.
Collin Welsh, Regional Development Manager, CARSTAR, spoke of some of the benefits that come along with owning multiple CARSTAR locations. “From an economic standpoint, multiple store owners are able to centralize efforts with staffing to reduce costs. They’re also able to load-level employees. For example, CARSTAR Peterborough recently had a painter shortage, so they brought in their painter from Markham to temporarily fill that gap.”
With a new and modern facility in their hometown, the future is bright and exciting for the Shirtliffs. They will have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in their own community—where they will live, play and work. This family owned business is a shining example that, with time and hard work, you can have it all. Having finished up with renovations, their next objective is to take their business to new levels. “Our goal is to be a leader in the collision repair industry from efficiencies, customer service, employee satisfaction, to community investment” said Cathy.
For more information about CARSTAR, please visit carstar.ca.
