Simplicity Car Care has solid plans for growth in British Columbia.

Since inception in 2017, Simplicity Car Care has focused on a specific strategy in bringing operational excellence to the collision repair space. The aim is to create a profitable and productive blueprint for its franchisees as well as delivering a superior experience for their customers.

Starting out in Ontario, Simplicity Car Care has since expanded into Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick, and British Columbia.

Talking with Greg Wing, Director of Sales for Canada, B.C. not only represents a big opportunity for Simplicity Car Care but also a market where operating collision centres brings a unique set of circumstances. “B.C. has both public and private insurers,” explains Wing. “As a result,” he says, “before entering into the market, Simplicity Car Care wanted to ensure the requirements for our high-level operation in the province are met. A big thing for us, was to secure a relationship with a leading private insurer in B.C. so we could drive additional value to the independent shops that choose to join us.”

Operational excellence

Wing says this complements Simplicity Car Care’s established track record of operational excellence. “By enabling potential franchisees to leverage their capability and reputation, via greater scorecard ratings and performance, we’re able to drive more work to their doors.” This applies to both private insurers in the province or government insurer, ICBC.

“With these elements in place, along with the robust vendor relationships we have in B.C., it allows us to expand aggressively in this market and bring in new strategic franchise partners,” explains Wing.

The first facility to join the network in British Columbia is Simplicity Car Care Riverside in Prince George. Established in 1991 and operated by Pierre Indaburu and Mason Roche, this family-run and community-oriented business has been part of the network for almost a year.

Recognizing that the future lies in aligning with a collision repair network, next-generation collision industry entrepreneur Mason Roche explains that the offer presented by Simplicity Car Care really resonated with him.

Since joining, Simplicity Car Care Riverside has gone from strength-to-strength, not only in terms of the volume of work through insurance, but in terms of streamlining and improving operational processes, which has been backed by solid support from the network’s corporate team and in-field operatives.

“We have introduced new systems in our shop that allow us to better manage production,” explains Roche. “We now have meetings with Simplicity staff and other shops, which cover a range of discussions about the industry and our shop’s performances. We’ve also established a direct repair  program with Family Insurance/Economical as one of their preferred shops. Since joining, we have also reduced materials costs from our suppliers and increased discounts on parts vendors that have allowed us to be more profitable. Overall, we continue following processes from Simplicity that reduced our cycle time while maintaining the best quality. If other shops are considering joining a banner, we’re happy to share our experiences with them.”

Pivotal factor

Greg Wing says that operational excellence can be a pivotal factor in success for an individual shop. “You might be a collision centre that is doing $1 million or even $2 million per year in sales, but you’re still not making money.” He explains that in order to be profitable, a shop needs to focus on  increasing performance, scorecards, KPIs and other matrices to achieve a higher level of operational standard that beats the industry as a whole. “If you’re able to do that, then you’re constantly outperforming everybody else in the marketplace.”

That’s why, he says, Simplicity Car Care focuses so diligently on operational excellence for all its franchisees. “Our goal is to assist them in becoming the very best they can be,” states Wing. “We are focused on attracting those independent shops that want to become number one—number one in their market, in their private insurance scorecards and growing their business because they are the best at what they do.”

As a result, an independent collision centre that’s looking for more business and growth is in an ideal situation to join a network that will provide them exactly that, as well as delivering next-level operational processes and support.

Starting a conversation

“If you’re a shop that’s in that situation and you’re looking for more work, reach out to us and let’s start a conversation,” states Wing.

As for the growth trajectory in B.C., Wing says Simplicity Car Care has set fairly lofty expectations, but feels these objectives are backed by solid  operators who are looking to take their collision repair business to the next level.

“There are some amazing operators in the province that range from multi-generational families to new owners, all of which we can’t wait to partner with,” explains Wing.

Summarizing, Joe Degroot, Field Conversion Manager at Simplicity Car Care, explains that “[at Simplicity Car Care], we put a great deal of value on information, and spend countless hours every week analyzing market trends and developments, right down to each individual shop. As a result,” he says, “Simplicity Car Care can identify what’s happening in a particular market and enable stores within the network to take proactive steps. Doing so allows them to stay ahead of the curve, ahead of the competition, and position themselves for a bright, dynamic and exciting future. If you are an independent shop owner and have questions about your operations, please feel free to contact me to discuss.”

For more information about Simplicity Car Care in B.C. and becoming a franchisee, contact:

• Joe Degroot  [email protected]
• Greg Wing  [email protected]
• www.simplicitycarcare.ca