New Halfway Motors Car Star Facility Is A Game Changer!
by Scott A. Sumner
Daniel Trevisanutto, is a Partner in the Halfway Motors Group and a part of the third generation of the business.His grandfather John Sr, was the first generation when their original dealership opened up on Hodder Ave. It then moved to his dad John Jr, and now Daniel, with his brother Patrick, are directly involved in the ownership of the business.
“ The original business started as a grocery store and then evolved into a Studebaker dealership, the first brand we worked on. That brand died out and we eventually moved to near our current location as a Datsun, Fiat, Volvo and I believe Jeep dealership. Manufacturers shifted to only allowing one brand under one roof and then the family decided we are going to commit to Datsun, and to Volvo which was placed in a separate building. Eight years ago we took over the BRP brand with powersports and then Mazda near that time.” said Daniel Trevisanutto.
Halfway Motors has been very successful with a new Mazda building, are currently expanding the Nissan building as well moving into a new BRP building. Also they have just taken on the John Deere Turf franchise.
The Car Star collision business started for the Halfway Motors Group in 1998. The Car Star brand was quite new then and this year Car Star are celebrating 30 years in Canada.
“ Car Star for us began in the back of the old dealership on Memorial and then 11th Ave. Car Star now has over 300 locations in Canada and another 200 across the US. The Car Star brand ownership is a huge company with many different brands under their corporate umbrella.” said Daniel.
The Halfway Motors Car Star operation have recently completed a brand new facility built from the dirt up.
“ We have been in the new Car Star building since the middle of November 2023, so about 8 months. The new building is 20,000 square feet in size and built with the mindset we are here to get collision work done. So we have lots of new equipment including frame machines, paint booths, a new hoist and a brand new approach to processing the cars and getting them fixed. In the last ten years cars have come so far in terms of the build and the technology in them. The materials have changed with the goal of making the vehicles safer and lighter using different metals, like high strength steel that is thinner, but
heavier and also harder to work with. The vehicles are assembled differently than they used to be with more anchoring points and also it is like a mobile computer. Lighter was made to meet fuel efficiency requirements.” said Daniel.
Halfway Motors Car Star currently have 18 full time employees. Across all the Halfway Motors businesses there are about 100 employees.
“ Since we moved in to the new building at Car Star it has honestly been a game changer for us, more than we hoped for. It's having the proper layout, new and better equipment, the processes have come together, and there has been a real morale bump with the team in a lot nicer setting. I think everyone here wants to see us perform well and we are hitting records we have never done before. Production is going smoother and quality is better.”noted Daniel.
This new Car Star facility was a multi million investment with building and new equipment. They can work on all brands except high luxury cars that require specific certifications and training to work on, except for some small cosmetic type work.
“ The manufactures are now telling us how to fix the car with their systems, especially with panel replacement and frame repair. The computer systems are very expensive on the new vehicles, say with adaptive cruise control or signals like lane assist, driver assists, back up etc using computers.” said Daniel.“ It is important for people to see that vehicle repair is no longer like your uncle's shop in the backyard. It has moved past where anyone can do body repair in your backyard.You need the proper equipment and the technicians with the proper training to repair those vehicles properly.”
“ We are here for the customer after a bad situation they have experienced to make it as best we can. When a customer comes into a place like this, it will change their perception and we hope change one of the worst days they have had in a long time. We want to accomplish that from the first time they walk in the door. This is the next step
in collision repair. We don't always get it right but at the Halfway Motors Group our philosophy is we will make it right and do what we can. It is a very dynamic environment and customers want their vehicles back as soon as possible.”
Car Star Thunder Bay is a very impressive,clean and organized facility that can get your vehicle back to pristine condition after an accident!
