Duncan Autobody, with two locations in Allentown and Quakertown, Pa., and Scott’s Collision Centers, with two locations in Easton and Stroudsburg, announced they have merged effective June 1, 2017, to form the Legacy Autobody Group. The combined organization has over $11 million in annual sales and 70-plus teammates at its four locations.
The merger of the two family-owned multiple-shop operations is the initial part of a plan to expand its collision repair services in Eastern Pennsylvania and Western New Jersey.
Both Scott’s Collision Centers and Duncan Autobody were founded in the early 1970s and have thrived since that time due to a reputation for high quality repairs and superior customer service. Scott’s Collision Centers, owned by Matt Dewalt, was founded by Matt’s father, Scott, in 1971. In 1998, Scott opened their current 21,000-sq.-ft. location in Easton. In 2007, they acquired their 14,000-sq.-ft. Stroudsburg collision repair center.
Duncan Autobody, owned by brothers Eric and Mike Horvath, was founded in 1973 by Eric and Mike’s father, Robert (Bob) Horvath, and Luther (Dopey Duncan) Gehringer. Duncan Autobody’s Allentown location is 15,000 square feet. In 2008, the Horvath Family purchased their 8,000-sq.-ft. Quakertown facility.
“We named our new venture Legacy Auto Body Group to honor the legacies of our parents’ efforts to build their collision repair businesses built upon high-quality repairs and customer satisfaction,” said Matt Dewalt. “The organization has multiple OEM certifications and has heavily invested in our technician’s training and the state-of-the-art equipment necessary to repair modern vehicles.”
Added Eric Horvath, “We are very excited for this opportunity to propel our organizations into the future. We think it only fitting that we called it Legacy Autobody group and look forward to continuing what our dads started.”
“Our organizations are so similar in core values that we know the merger will be a huge success,” said Mike Horvath, “Family, integrity, quality and service are the core values that both our fathers instilled in us. We have both maintained those core values separately for two generations, and now we are very excited to continue to provide those things to our customers for years to come.”
Adding additional locations in the Lehigh Valley and Pocono regions of Eastern Pennsylvania is a key component of the Legacy Autobody Group’s growth plans for the future. The firm is actively looking for acquisition opportunities in neighboring communities to those it already serves.
