Driven Brands closed out its inaugural Driven Brands Canadian joint conference in the same spirit with which it began — excitement, conviviality and a commitment to evolving and growing together.
The celebration, Evolution 2023, was held July 18-20, 2023 at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal, Canada. The attendees included hundreds of franchise partners from CARSTAR and Driven Glass (consisting of UniglassPlus, VitroPlus, Docteur Pare-Brise, Go!Glass and Star Auto Glass), along with Driven Brands team members, vendors and industry leaders from across North America.
“The energy in this room coming off our united collision and glass family is unmatched,” said Sabrina Thring, COO of CARSTAR Canada. “It is truly incredible to witness the power of our people and partners coming together to create true evolution in the industry.”
The final day of the conference featured a marketing update with Melissa Kwiatkowski, vice president of marketing, Driven Brands Collision Group, and Felicia Roy, director of marketing, Driven Glass Canada. Then, Tony Mammone, vice president, strategy and analytics, CARSTAR Canada, and Louise Jarry, former senior director of claims management, shared a variety of strategies and goals to help franchise partners set goals to boost their business and measure detailed analytics to track performance against those goals. That was followed by an overview of operational performance and progress against goals for 2023 by Julie Benoit, vice president, operations and marketing, Driven Glass, and Dave Foster, vice president, network promotion and development, CARSTAR Canada.
Franchise partners Cinzia Marino, owner of UniglassPlus/Ziebart London; Steve Strassburger, owner of UniglassPlus/Ziebart Kitchener; Robin Harris, owner of CARSTAR New Minas, CARSTAR Elmsdale and UniglassPlus New Minas; Mike Cherneta, owner of MGM Auto Group; and Vito Gagliardi, owner of CARSTAR Downsview, then took the stage to share their approach to delivering excellent customer service, tips for efficient operations and innovative solutions for hiring and retaining talent. All of the franchise partners emphasized the importance of efficient and effective, repeatable processes to achieve success in the shop.
At the vendor trade show and lunch, North American vendors showcased the new products and services for the Driven Brands network and discussed the benefits of the Driven Brands procurement program. Attendees also had the chance to participate in an exciting, interactive VR simulator that raised money for the collision and glass charities of choice.
The 2023 Evolution Awards and Gala Dinner closed out the festivities with a prom theme, crowning Joe Cardiff and Leslie Cardiff, owners of Cardiff CARSTAR Regina, as the king and queen through live voting that contributed to a combined total of more than $150,000 raised to benefit Cystic Fibrosis Canada, the Breakfast Club of Canada and the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.
At the dinner, the top franchise partners for CARSTAR and Driven Glass (consisting of UniglassPlus, VitroPlus, Docteur Pare-Brise, Go!Glass and Star Auto Glass) were announced. The top awards (Franchisee of the Year) went to:
- Joe Saputo, owner, CARSTAR Ancaster
- Basam Betou, owner, Star Glass North York
- Danny Verreault, owner, VitroPlus Granby
- Peppi Paluzzi and Georges Pezoulas, owners, UniglassPlus Ottawa Cryville
- Sean Hudson, owner, Go!Glass Listowel
- Denis Thibert, owner, Docteur du Pare-Brise Mercier
“It is so rewarding to conclude conference by honoring the franchisees that keep our wheels turning and our engines revved,” said Michael Macaluso, Driven Brands executive vice president and group president of Paint, Collision and Glass. “I am optimistic that we will continue to acknowledge our challenges, focus on our opportunities, attack unpredictability and continue to be a trailblazer in this ever-changing industry.”
To see highlights from day 1, click here.
To see highlights from day 2, click here.
