Dave Mitchell, former president and CEO of Master Collision Repair, has announced the opening of the second CarGuys Automotive. CarGuys opened its first location in Seffner, Fla., earlier this year.
The newest facility, formerly Greg’s Car Care, is located in Crystal River, about an hour north of Tampa. The location is 20,000 square feet and sits on nearly 3.5 acres. This new location will provide full-service collision as well as mechanical repairs. A third location is expected to open in Lady Lake sometime during the fourth quarter.
Mitchell sold Master Collision Repair, an eight-location operation, to Gerber Collision and Glass in early 2012 and worked with the group throughout 2012 to help Gerber further develop the Florida market. He left the company earlier this year to start this new venture.
Mitchell feels there is still plenty of room in Central Florida for professional collision repair centers. CarGuys’ growth will be achieved through acquisition as well as brownfield locations.
When asked about competing with larger groups, Mitchell said, “I’ve always said that a good local operator can easily compete with larger groups. The independent is able to make decisions much quicker and will have a much better feel for the local market. The larger a company gets, the harder it is to identify the need for change, let alone implement it."
