At the recent Momentum 2018 CARSTAR Conference in Calgary, Alberta, the CARSTAR leadership team celebrated the top CARSTAR franchise partners in the network, shared performance highlights for the first half of 2018, discussed its outlook for the remainder of the year and outlined the strategic priorities on its path to growth.

After a record year of growth and operational performance in 2017, CARSTAR is continuing that positive trend through the first half of 2018, recently opening its 600th location in Sudbury, Ontario, and posting a more than 15 percent increase in sales for the first six months versus 2017.

“Our unified CARSTAR North American network has become a powerful force in delivering the industry’s highest-quality collision repairs, excellent customer service and the consistent performance that will drive our growth for the future,” said Michael Macaluso, president of CARSTAR. “By streamlining our operations, adopting best practices from our U.S. and Canadian businesses and fully leveraging the resources of Driven Brands, we have created a unique and innovative model for the collision repair industry. We have a massive opportunity ahead, and are well-positioned to achieve our goal of 1,000 stores in the coming years.”

Key CARSTAR North America milestones in the first half of 2018 include:

• Record revenue of nearly $850 million across the North American network in 2017, which again made CARSTAR the largest MSO in North America
• Continuous growth in same center sales for the last 67 months and improved franchise profitability across the system
• Expansion through new store growth, including the recent opening of the 600th store in Sudbury, Ontario, keeping CARSTAR on track to open 60 new locations in 2018
• Industry-leading KPIs including length of rental and NPS scores
• Expansion of the CARSTAR proprietary EDGE Performance Platform, pioneered in the U.S., across Canada, making it the North American operations and learning platform
• Introduction of a revamped CARSTAR University learning management system to guide store training and certifications
• Realignment of the CARSTAR zones for the U.S. and Canada and bringing in additional area manager of operations to more efficiently support CARSTAR stores with EDGE
• Expansion of the CARSTAR insurance program with significant performance-based agreements (PBA) growth across North America, reflected in that some 90 percent of CARSTAR locations participate in at least one PBA
• Launch of a central estimate review process for all stores
• Enhancement of cross-border insurance programs and CARSTAR Care Center to accommodate insurance carriers and their customers across North America

“We are incredibly proud of the hard work and commitment to excellence from our franchise partners across North America, as they have embraced the CARSTAR programs, dedicated themselves to improving their businesses, supported their communities through philanthropic programs and served as role models for the entire collision repair industry,” said Macaluso. “Without their dedication, we would not be able to achieve these milestones. Also, I want to recognize the many contributions of the CARSTAR corporate team, our insurance partners, and our vendor partners in building our success.”

CARSTAR Outlines Strategic Growth Plans for 2018

For the second half of the year, CARSTAR and Driven Brands are focused on growing the CARSTAR network across the U.S. and Canada, delivering continued operational improvements and providing purchasing efficiencies.

“Looking ahead, we are enthusiastic about the incredible opportunities for the CARSTAR model and our franchise partners,” said Macaluso. “The industry is changing quickly, and this dynamic shift will not slow down in the next five years. Anticipating the needs of our insurance partners, understanding how changing OEM repair standards will affect our operating procedures, learning to adapt to repairing advanced vehicle technology, and looking at the potential effects self-driving vehicles will have on the industry are some of the expected shifts. Our goal is to provide the leadership and resources for our CARSTAR network to address these changes and continue to perform at the highest levels.”

Key initiatives include:

• Driving unit growth across the U.S. and Canada through aggressive store development, with the goal of reaching 1,000 locations by 2020
• Gaining market share in the U.S. with expansion into new states, opening additional locations for current CARSTAR owners and exploring new opportunities for satellite and express services
• Increasing organic growth at its current locations through the CARSTAR proprietary EDGE Performance Platform, operating efficiencies, insurance PBA programs and fleet work expansion
• Guiding stores in a changing marketplace with leadership practices on advanced repair technology, OEM repair standards, and technician training to meet or exceed insurance and OEM performance standards
• Continuing to build the CARSTAR brand as the top provider of premier collision repair services
• Leveraging the Driven Brands synergies for efficiency and cost-savings

“We continue on a path of rapid growth and increased performance, and the partnership with Driven Brands continues to provide fuel to accelerate our growth,” said Macaluso. “Our franchise partners, our insurance partners and our vendor partners have embraced our North American model and are equally as enthusiastic as we are about the opportunities ahead. We look forward to finishing a great year and continuing to grow toward our 1,000-store goal.”

For a video recap of the 2018 CARSTAR conference, click here.