Windsor, Ontario — Marcel’s Collision is thrilled to be celebrating 70 years in business this year.
The facility, a family-run business in Windsor Ontario, set up shop in 1951 and hasn’t looked back. The shop, originally called Marcel’s Service Garage Ltd, was established by Marcel Marier. It is now owned and operated by his nephew, Marc Marier–but more changes are incoming.
“I’ve been there 40 years myself. I just announced my semi-retirement three weeks ago,” Marc told Collision Repair. “I’ll be passing the reins on to my daughter, Michelle.”
Michelle Whitehead signed on as the company’s Financial Controller in 2012, and will soon take over the business.
Marc attributes the success of his family business to “a lot of hard work, and a really, really good client base.”
“Our family name has come to be trusted in the community,” said Whitehead. “Everyone knows the Marier family! I’m the third generation to come into the business and that goes a long way.”
Whitehead says that the trust her family has built-in their community has allowed them to gain the client base that has kept them operating over the past 70 years.
In a constantly evolving industry like automotive repair, keeping an independent, family-run shop running is a feat to be celebrated–and Michelle has no plans to close up shop anytime soon. She says she’s ready to arm the facility with tools and training that will allow them to excel for years to come.
“Making sure we have all of the equipment and training that the industry will require in order to be certified to service all makes and models–domestic and foreign–will keep a lot of doors open for us,” said Michelle.
“This facility is basically a household name in the area,” said Dan Dominato, long-time friend and president of Precision Marketing. “Their longevity is directly linked with their dedication to customer service.”
Marcel’s Collision website calls their shop a testament to the strength and power of family. Both Marc and Michelle are proud to be a part of three generations of local business owners.
“There are not too many independent shops around anymore,” said Michelle, “It’s nice that our name has been able to stick around and lead to our success.”
