ALL CUSTOMERS, ALL REPAIRS, ALL MODELS AT ALL MAKES COLLISION CENTRE

When Gerry Wood established his first Calgary dealership, Southridge Lincoln Mercury (now Woodridge Ford Lincoln), in 1983, he wanted to serve more than just a customer’s new or preowned car needs. In the beginning, he was using outside body shops to fix damage, but he quickly saw the benefits, both for the customer and for the growing dealership group, of creating this service in-house.

“We wanted to be involved in repairs so we can ensure our customers are getting the best possible service,” says Gerry Wood, founder and executive chair of the Wood Automotive Group (WAG).

It didn’t make sense to offer services like oil changes and then pay a third party to do collision repairs. Gerry knew he could cultivate a dedicated Wood team to quickly and expertly take care of virtually any issue a customer could encounter. In 1987, he created Woodridge Auto Body a stone’s throw from the flagship dealership on Macleod Trail. Under the Woodridge Ford Lincoln umbrella, the shop handled warranty work, minor dents, serious collision damage and everything in between.

Over the years, the Wood Automotive Group expanded, eventually acquiring seven dealerships that cover the gamut of manufacturers, and the auto body repair shop grew to accommodate that diversity. With WAG dealerships offering Ford, Lincoln, Chrysler, Honda, Jeep, Volkswagen, Dodge and Ram products, Woodridge Auto Body became All Makes Collision Centre to represent its broad capabilities as it better served Calgary drivers.

“All Makes Collision Centre allows us to assist the customer in a different capacity. We want to try to be the one-stop shop for all your vehicle requirements,” says Cailean Wood, vice president, sales and marketing for WAG. “And the name says it all: all makes, all models.”

After Woodridge moved to the Eastlake Industrial area just south of Douglasdale along Deerfoot Trail in 2009, the body shop relocated close by as well. The dealership and body shop acted as an anchor for this new industrial area which has now become a bustling, busy industrial hub. The impressive 27,000-square-foot state-of-the-art shop can meet any need, whether it entails paint touch-ups, dent removal, hail damage, frame straightening or repairing the wide range of body damage that results from a traffic collision.

All Makes Collision Centre has evolved over the years with changes in areas such as glass repair and specialty automotive paint. Many of today’s vehicles house sensors and cameras in the glass, so replacing windshields, windows and moon roofs requires specialists who are well trained in this complex process.

Also, when All Makes opened in 1987, North America was just phasing out single-stage paint in favour of a more sophisticated two-stage process. The shop has stayed abreast of further paint changes to provide customer with the latest options that deliver more durability and customized colours.

“Nowadays we’re moving into three- and four-stage paint which gives us the specialty colours and the pearls. It’s quite an advanced process,” says Jessica Watkins, general manager of All Makes Collision Centre.

The shop has advanced customer service processes as well that allow the team to guide customers through the repair, from start to finish. Representatives communicate in whatever way suits customers, whether that’s via email, text or phone, to outline what will be done and when. Service technicians ensure they protect the customer’s manufacturer warranty moving forward by using certified manufacturer parts in the repair.

“Each manufacturer has specific repair procedures, tooling and training that are required, so an OEM certification and focus for the dealerships is something that has been extraordinarily important to us,” says Jessica. “We pride ourselves on taking care of the customer and making sure the job is done correctly, and informing customers along the way so they are educated about the repair.”

Knowing the stress that comes with a vehicle collision, All Makes aims to make things as easy as possible for customers. Emerging AI technology allows the shop to prepare estimates from photos, eliminating the need for customers to come in. Once they receive and accept the estimate, customers can drop their vehicle at All Makes Collision Centre or at one of several convenient WAG dealerships in the city. The team takes it from there. The service professionals help arrange a rental vehicle if necessary, work directly with insurance companies and provide customers with guaranteed quality results every time.

In a time of crisis, customers turn to the auto body shop that they know and have trusted for 35 years. Whether it’s a new custom colour coat of paint, a replacement side panel or a windshield with a head-up display, All Makes Collision Centre prides itself on exceeding expectations as it gets its valued customers back on the road.

TOP LEFT: ALL MAKES COLLISION PAINT TECHNICIANS USE ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY SPECIALTY WATERBASED PAINTS AND CAN MATCH ANY COLOUR VEHICLE.

MIDDLE LEFT: A MULTITUDE OF WIRES, SENSORS AND ELECTRONICS ARE JUST BEHIND THE INSIDE DOOR PANEL OF TODAY’S SOPHISTICATED VEHICLES.

BOTTOM LEFT: PREPPING, PAINTING AND POLISHING A VEHICLE HAS BECOME A MULTI-STEP PROCESS.

In 2023 the Wood Automotive Group celebrates its 40th anniversary. In this edition and in the coming months, Wood Automotive Group Founder and Executive Chair, Gerry Wood and his team will recollect how vehicles have changed in the past 40 years and how serving customers continues to evolve. In this issue we focus on the collision centre.

Gerry Wood - Founder and Executive Chair Wood Automotive Group

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