WATERDOWN COLLISION CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF COMMUNITY, CRAFTSMANSHIP, AND COMMITMENT
Story by SARAH PERKINS
In the heart of Flamborough, Ontario, Waterdown Collision has become a pillar of the community over its remarkable 50-year journey. Established in 1974 by the DiFelice family, this award-winning collision repair facility is not only celebrated for its top-notch services but also for its deep-rooted commitment to local initiatives.
As the business thrives through generations, it continues to adapt to the evolving automotive landscape, embracing advanced technology and community engagement. With plans for expansion and a focus on excellence in customer service, Waterdown Collision is poised to drive into the future while preserving its legacy of care and craftsmanship.
FAITHFUL TO FLAMBOROUGH
Waterdown Collision has been voted best repair facility in the Flamborough area and its surrounding communities for close to a decade.
With a strong connection to community initiatives, the shop frequently participates in fundraising events alongside sponsorships of local sports and leagues.
Focusing on serving Flamborough and the greater Hamilton area, today, Waterdown Collision’s client base consists of personal vehicle owners, businesses with commercial fleet vehicles and dealerships with repair and manufacturer warranty claims.
When speaking with Max DiFelice, President of Waterdown Collision, he noted that the shop’s “dedication is seen on many fronts. From supporting countless local teams, events, service organizations and charities, to the craftsmanship of fixing someone’s banged up vehicle, it all matters equally as a committed member of the community.”
And, while five decades of experience has brought its share of ups and downs, the DiFelice family is proud to see the shop’s expansion, both in size, and to the third generation.
“The relocation and expansion of Waterdown Collision will optimize additional square footage and infrastructure to increase productivity, throughput and sales revenue,” explained Max. “With the addition of new equipment, training and staff, Waterdown Collision will be in a prime position to accommodate a growing market and advancing industry practices.”
For DiFelice, other achievements include: “Assembling an amazing team of staff that is family and goal oriented and like-minded and surpassing 1,000 Google reviews while maintaining a 4.9 rating.”
After 50 years in the industry, Waterdown Collision has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. When looking at goals for the future, DiFelice stated that first and foremost is continuing to achieve excellence in customer service.
Other goals include designing the new facility with a technical training centre; increasing sales by offering a wide range of services; increasing our staffing to create employment opportunities within the community; and adding new equipment and training to facilitate more sublet operations onsite, such as ADAS calibrations, glass replacement and wheel alignments.
Ultimately, with half-a-century of success, Waterdown Collision has developed a playbook of maneuvers to consistently stay ahead. For DiFelice, these include owning your market and knowing your clients and making sure you stand out from the competition by truly being one of a kind when it comes to the client experience.
“Success begins from within. Hiring and training competent and caring staff who genuinely care about the business and the clients, and investing in ongoing training, equipment and facility upgrades will help ensure that your business keeps up with the times, whether this be ten years, 50 years or even a century.”
BROTHERS IN BUSINESS
With Waterdown Collision set to be passed on to the third generation, Collision Repair also sat down with Domenic and Dante DiFelice to learn more about their journey within the industry and goals for the future. “I have always had an interest in the family business,” explained Domenic. “I gained more and more of an interest as I worked in the back of the shop, growing my position from the ground up. In high school, I gained a greater understanding of the business and involved myself in the process of learning more about the operations of a business in the industry.
“After high school I became truly engaged in the business and understood that it became my passion. From here, I used the beginning of my post-secondary education journey to begin paving my path to take over the family business.
“It was halfway through university that my brother, Dante, was entering a point in his life where he was able to also truly understand the value of our business. At that point, we made the best decision to partner together and bring this business into the next generation and the future of the industry.”
Similarly, Dante responded that he has always had a strong passion for cars.
“At a young age, I began to do research about the mechanics and performance aspects of cars—not only performance vehicles, but I also had a passion for making everyday cars more enjoyable to drive.”
“In high school, I was unsure of what my plans were when I graduated. I knew I had a passion for cars and the automotive industry, but I couldn’t decide what my next steps were. I took a year off and work in the family business as an apprentice in the back. Fast forward to my year as an apprentice, I had the knowledge and ability to help out on multiple departments while continuing to learn new skills and techniques every single day.”
“Then, midway through my apprenticeship, I decided I was going to look for a school that was oriented in the automotive industry. This was a real turning point for me, as it was the first time I realized that there was so much room for growth and opportunity in this business. I knew that my hobby had found a home, and I couldn’t envision myself doing anything else.
“I learned about a post-secondary suited specifically towards the automotive industry and how to run a business in this industry. I knew that taking the strides to complete this program would put me in the best position to take over the family business with my brother and make it into the future.”
“I have had the honour of working for Waterdown Collision for the past 14 years and I am proud to be representing an organization who is heavily involved in its local community and is always finding new ways to give back to those who support us.”
— BRANDON BEZZINA, SENIOR ADVISOR ESTIMATING TEAM
“It’s an opportunity for growth. It’s an opportunity for expansion. We are growing with our community, and as one of the collision industry’s largest independent operators, we can’t thank the community of Flamborough enough for the past 50 years of support. We’re very excited to see what the next 50 years have in store for our business and our expanding community.”
— DOMENIC DIFELICE, THIRD GENERATION
“Looking back into Waterdown Collisions’ accomplishments over the years, seeing how involved we have been in our local community has been truly inspiring to me. As Waterdown Collision continues to grow its roots at our new facility, I’m truly grateful for our amazing team and everyone who has been involved in shaping this next chapter of our business. I am excited to embrace the future of Waterdown Collision and continue to strive in hopes of achieving even more!”
— DANTE DIFELICE, THIRD GENERATION
“50 years is a wonderful milestone—but at the end of the day, we’ve celebrated thousands of daily success stories when our happy customers are thrilled with how meticulously we have repaired their vehicle. I couldn’t be prouder of the local team we’ve put together and their commitment to putting our customers and community first.”
— MAX DIFELICE, PRESIDENT OF WATERDOWN COLLISION
“What I value about working at Waterdown for the past 11 years is that it is a positive environment where the team members are valued, we celebrate our successes and everyday brings us new challenges and opportunities to learn.”
— NADIA MAMONE, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & INSURANCE RELATIONS
“I am proud to say that I have been part of Waterdown Collision for 19 years! I’ve learned that if you want to be successful, you need to build a strong team of like-minded people who share the same values that want to deliver a product that we can stand behind. Max and the DiFelice family have done that. Our ‘work family’ is the reason I love coming to work everyday.”
— ARTHUR ZIELINKSKI, PRODUCTION & QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER
