Franchise Partners from the U.S. and Canada Recognized for Excellent Operations, Marketing, Support for Technical Education and Years of Service in the CARSTAR Network
July 16, 2019 // Franchising.com // CHICAGO - At its annual conference, CARSTAR recognized the U.S. and Canadian top performing CARSTAR franchise partners of the year for their leadership and success throughout the network.
On Thursday, Arlo Johnson, U.S. general manager, and Jeff Labanovich, Canada general manager, presented the awards for Customer Experience and Top Cycle Time. The winners were on stage as part of a franchise partner panel to discuss strategies for success in these key areas and then were surprised with their awards. Panel participants/winners included:
Top Cycle Time
Customer Experience
On Friday, the CARSTAR team recognized franchise partners with additional awards for top performance during the day’s presentations and the closing gala on Friday night.
CARSTAR Rookie of the Year
In the U.S., Jason Wong, owner of CARSTAR Auto World, just had his most successful month ever, which is a testament to the leadership at this store. He and his team are engaged in the CARSTAR EDGE Performance Group and he is also a champion for teamwork as he is always working to elevate the collective CARSTAR brand in Northern California.
The Canadian Rookie of the Year winner is Patrice Magnan of CARSTAR Group Magnan in Quebec. Magnan has embraced the CARSTAR values from the moment he joined the network. His focus on his KPIs aligns with the CARSTAR EDGE Performance Platform goals, not only contributing to his massive success but also making him and his five locations a tremendous fit with CARSTAR.
CARSTAR Next Generation Award
The U.S. recipient of the Next Generation award is Nathan Muller, owner of CARSTAR Maryville, who is following in the footsteps of his father Kurt, a long-time franchise partner, starting with CARSTAR back in 1993. This second-generation owner consistently ranks the highest for the most important KPIs, his store has achieved EDGE Elite status and is active in EPGs best practice sharing, advising and learning alongside his colleagues.
In Canada, the winner is Sebastien Torres from the Torcam Group, who helped his family achieve a lifelong goal to own their own locations at the start of this year. He plays a significant role in the success of the overall operations as he has championed the idea of performance accelerating growth.
Ironman Award
For the U.S., Lou Scola, owner of CARSTAR Scola in Chicago, was honored with the Ironman Award for his 15 years with CARSTAR. He is a former Franchisee of the Year award winner, he continuously champions CARSTAR and is always open to honest conversations to improve the business. Dedicated to performance and providing repairs backed by integrity, Scola is truly best in class.
In Canada, Mark Kharfan, owner of the Kharfan Group, oversees nine CARSTAR locations and more than 100 employees. He was one of the first to integrate a 45,000 square-foot production facility into his operations, and was able to master the concept of load-levelling early on. He also has been able to replicate operational excellence at each store, which is a direct reflection on how wonderfully he treats his team.
President’s Awards
The President’s Awards are given to the top U.S. and Canadian franchise partners who demonstrated distinguished service and outstanding leadership within the CARSTAR family this year. Additionally, these owners also have the highest metrics in CARSTAR’s most important key performance indicators.
U.S.
Canada
Genesis Award
In the U.S., the special 30th anniversary Genesis Award went to Gerald Wicklund, owner of CARSTAR Wicklund in Liberty, MO. The first CARSTAR franchise partner joined the network in October of 1989. Bill Wicklund, owner of this Kansas City area shop, passed on the business to his son Gerald in 2000. Since then, Gerald has been running the day-to-day operations, ensuring they uphold the premier standard or repairs which got them to this point today. With Gerald’s children now employed at the business, this facility is now a three-generation business, with no plans to slow down. Earning several OEM and industry certifications, the Wicklunds and their team keep up with industry advancements through the years, ensuring their customers have premier experiences and safe repairs - the same values the business was founded on.
Marketer of the Year Award
For the U.S., Paul Edgecomb, owner of CARSTAR Champion in New Jersey, was named Marketer of the Year. In 2018, he was one of the first individual stores to opt into the CARSTAR paid search program and throughout the past year, he has been a pioneer in reviews and improving his NPS score. With 110 Google Reviews anda 4.9-star rating, this store touts one of the highest NPS scores in the system at a perfect 100.
The Marketer of the Year in Canada was Johnny Kloeches, owner of CARSTAR Edmonton SE, CARSTAR Ellerslie, CARSTAR Express Edmonton South, CARSTAR Edmonton Gateway, CARSTAR Leduc North, and CARSTAR Edmonton Mayfield. He has spent the past year investing in his digital presence through an additional paid search program as the first franchise partner in Canada to engage in enhancing this corporate-led initiative. He is active in fundraising for cystic fibrosis through car washes, ball hockey tournaments and last year, even joined together with other CARSTAR franchise partners in the area to host a charity golf tournament.
Additional awards were presented by the Collision Repair Education Foundation for supporting technical and trade education to the CARSTAR Chicagoland Business Group, the CARSTAR Colorado Business Group and the CARSTAR Omaha-Lincoln Business Group. Also, the CARSTAR Referrer of the Year award was presented to Dino DiGiulio, owner of CARSTAR Body Best Collision of Sonoma and CARSTAR Body Best Collision of Suisun.
Years of Service Awards
Congratulations on five years at CARSTAR:
Congratulations on 10 years at CARSTAR:
Congratulations on 15 years at CARSTAR:
Congratulations on 20 years at CARSTAR:
Congratulations on 25 years at CARSTAR:
Congratulations on 30 years at CARSTAR:
CARSTAR is North America’s largest network of independently owned and operated collision repair facilities with more than 650 locations in 35 states and 10 Canadian provinces. A part of the Driven Brands family of automotive aftermarket franchise brands, CARSTAR delivers national scale, premier vehicle repairs, repeatable outcomes and the industry’s highest customer satisfaction ratings. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, CARSTAR has maintained its commitment to give back to the communities it serves through a variety of fundraising initiatives, including raising over $3 million for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, and has made fighting cystic fibrosis its cause, North American wide. For more information visit www.carstar.com and www.carstar.ca follow on Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn. CARSTAR is actively seeking new franchise partners and interested parties should contact 844-906-9764.
Deborah Robinson
Victory Management Group PR
312.505.4336
drobinson@vmg1.com
SOURCE CARSTAR
CARSTAR is a Network of independently owned collision repair facilities.