Ben’s Auto Body was founded in 1932 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire by Ben Berounsky, the great-grandfather of Mike Berounsky Jr., who now co-owns the shop with brother Jason.
In 1932, when a new car cost about $600, Ben Berounsky opened a body shop because the only guy in town repairing cars was the local blacksmith. Berounsky enjoyed repairing cars so much that he taught his son, Henry, the trade. Henry took over in 1937, but temporarily closed the shop in 1942 because everyone went off to fight in World War II. When the war was over, Ben’s was open for business once again.
Does your shop have a similar history? We want to hear from you! BodyShop Business will be compiling the exclusive list of the most experienced collision centers by virtue of their years established in the trade. Body shops wishing to be included in the BodyShop Business 500 may apply to be on the list at bodyshop500.com. It’s simple and will involve uploading an image of any document, old photo or business card that states the year you were established under the original owner.
The BodyShop Business 500 will be honored at WreckWeek June 20-22 in Dallas/Ft. Worth, featuring ShopXpo, the DRIVE Expo Conference and TowXpo.
Don’t wait, apply now!
