INDUSTRY EVENT Rick Yates recently made a move within the CARSTAR family. Previously employed at CARSTAR’s corporate headquarters, he is now the owner of CARSTAR Midtown in Hamilton, Ontario.
Tony Mammone of RBC Insurance and Colson Cole of CARSTAR.
Matt Bell of CARSTAR was one of the primary speakers at the first day of the conference.
Michael Macaluso, COO of CARSTAR, and Sam Mercanti, CEO and President, on stage during the first day of the conference.
Leanne Jefferies of I-CAR and the CCIF Skills Program with Gloria Mann, VP of Industry Relations for Collision Repair magazine.
Danielle Boucher and Vince Matozzo of CARSTAR Automotive Canada.
The remainder of the morning was devoted to breakout sessions with various insurance partners. Immediately following, the CARSTAR Business Partner and Technical Expo opened its doors, showcasing offerings from many of CARSTAR’s key vendors. The final day of the conference kicked off the following morning with Dr. Nick Bontis, who spoke on “Leadershifting our Determination.” It would be an understatement to say that attendees were receptive to Dr. Bontis’s presentation. The presentation so energized the crowd that they were left with little recourse but to rise for a standing ovation. Rounding out the formal presentations were Colson Cole, National Director Operations for CARSTAR, on “Managing Your Score for Success,” followed by a panel discussion with insurance partners. More insurance breakout sessions followed after a short break. More breakout sessions followed lunch, led by CARSTAR’s operations specialists, refinish partners, and CARSTAR’s National Technical Manager, Bill Davidge. The CARSTAR Industry Conference concluded with the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony.
Larry Jefferies, Executive VP with CARSTAR and current Chairman of the Canadian Collision Industry Forum.
Entire families with children attend the CARSTAR Industry Conference, and there’s always something to keep them occupied.
The recipients of the 2014 CARSTAR Awards include: • CARSTAR’s Customer Experience Award – CARSTAR Elmira (Rudow’s), CARSTAR Fergus (Giles) and CARSTAR St. Catharines. • Cystic Fibrosis Canada’s Top Fundraisers – CARSTAR Mississauga 401, CARSTAR Woodbridge Appraisal Centre, CARSTAR North Bay, CARSTAR Edmonton West, CARSTAR Calgary Okotoks, CARSTAR Ancaster, CARSTAR St. Catharines, CARSTAR Markham, CARSTAR Red Deer and CARSTAR Kitchener King Street. • CARSTAR’s White Knight Award – Mark Kharfan & Brian Grover from CARSTAR Kharfan Group in Alberta, France Choinière from CARSTAR Arsenualt Granby and George & Donna Fischtner from CARSTAR St. Thomas. • CARSTAR’s Distinguished Service Award– Sam Saccoia from CARSTAR Toronto Dovercourt (Nick’s), Mississauga Hawkestone, Express Toronto Eastern Avenue and Express Mississauga Dundas.
• Matthew Ohrnstein Lifetime Achievement Award – Chris Stathonokis from CARSTAR Calgary CMD and Sam Mercanti from CARSTAR Automotive Canada. • CARSTAR’s 2014 President’s Club Award – CARSTAR Lethbridge, CARSTAR Uxbridge, CARSTAR Beauceville, CARSTAR Miramichi, CARSTAR Chelmsford, Sudbury Regent and South, and CARSTAR Kharfan Group from Alberta.
Awards were also given to stores celebrating their fifth year, tenth year and fifteenth year in business. The next CARSTAR Industry Conference will take place in Orlando, Florida, specifically at Disney World. This also marks the 20th anniversary of CARSTAR Automotive Canada. “This will be our first time holding our conference outside of Canada, but it’s always been a very family-centric organization, so Disney fits the bill,” says Macaluso. “More importantly, Disney World is truly the global epicentre of top-notch customer service. This will help us build right into our ongoing determination to serve customers the very best way we can.” CRM october 2014 collision Repair 53