Tom Martin, owner of Sidney Body CARSTAR, Troy CARSTAR and Piqua CARSTAR, recently reached his 20th year of service as a CARSTAR franchisee and shared learnings from his two-decade journey.
“I am incredibly proud to present this honor to Tom Martin,” said Damien Reyna, chief operating officer, U.S. collision. “Tom has been a champion of the brand, the industry and his team members ever since he first joined the network in 2003. After adding additional locations in 2014 and 2019, I have full confidence that Tom will continue to deliver quality repairs with a friendly smile wherever he expands next.”
Like other long-tenured owners, Martin first became involved with collision repair as an adolescent. When he was just 15 years old, he was hired to paint the outside of a body shop and in his words, “Never left!” He would ride his bicycle to the shop after school to help out however he could and from there, his passion for collision repair only continued to grow.
“Everyone says it all the time, but it’s crazy to see how much the industry has changed in just the 20-plus years that I have been a part of it,” said Martin. “I’ve learned that anything is possible, and these next 20 years could feature anything from improved safety and technology features, increased comfort options and more disposable cars.”
No growth comes without its challenges, and the challenges are what has kept Martin invested all these years. His winning attitude and aptitude for addressing obstacles head-on have resulted in satisfactory results for both he and his customers. After having a handful of like-minded peers join the CARSTAR franchise family, Martin’s business wheels began turning. Following a ride with a driver who mentioned CARSTAR, Martin took it as a sign to learn more about the brand and see how he could develop the type of shop he wanted. Soon after, he purchased a CARSTAR location from a friend and set out on his operationally excellent quest.
“When I first joined CARSTAR, I felt a transformation into a legitimate business,” Martin said. “Our sales nearly quadrupled, and the impact we could make in our community greatly expanded as well.”
From there, Martin has grown his operations and is now the owner of two additional locations, Troy CARSTAR and Piqua CARSTAR. This expanded community presence has allowed Martin and his team to engage with a variety of organizations such as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Make a Wish. One year, the team even had the opportunity to host a Make a Wish child ambassador, hear their story and let him explore the shop’s intriguing features and tools.
“Being a part of the community for two decades has allowed us to meet and make connections with all types of people. We truly treat our team like one big family and have had the pleasure of spending several meals and holidays together and have watched many of our technicians achieve significant growth during their time with us.”
As a veteran owner, Martin has had his fair share of experiences in the world of collision repair. To any independent shops seeking their next business move, Martin had just one thing to say: “Come to our family and join the brand —we’re cool!”
For more information, visit carstar.com.
