As vehicle technology and repair complexity continue to evolve, innovation in collision repair is often equated with advanced equipment and new tooling. For Darryl Hemstreet, owner of CARSTAR Red Deer and CARSTAR Red Deer South, innovation starts somewhere else: with people, process, and profitability.

“I think my perspective may be a little different from some in the industry,” said Darryl Hemstreet, owner of CARSTAR Red Deer and CARSTAR Red Deer South. “I tend to focus more on people and process than on simply investing in new technology. You can have the best tooling and equipment available, but if you don’t have the right people and the right processes in place, it won’t move the needle. Technology is important, but it can’t be the foundation.”

Investing in Technology With Discipline

While both locations continue to invest in training and evaluate new tools and systems, Hemstreet approaches every decision through the lens of return on investment and operational impact.

“When I evaluate new tools or equipment, the conversation almost always comes back to ROI and profitability,” he explained. “Is there a real return? Over ten years ago, I sat in on a presentation by Tim Ronak, Senior Services Consultant, AkzoNobel, about ROI on tools and spoke with him afterward. It genuinely shifted my thinking, and I give Tim a lot of credit for that.”

Hemstreet is candid that few ideas in the industry are entirely original.

“Most of what I’ve implemented has been learned, borrowed, stolen, or refined from others who were willing to share their experience,” he said.

A critical part of his evaluation process is identifying operational bottlenecks.

“When I look at our locations, I feel like I have a clear understanding of where the constraints are in our shops. Investing in equipment that does not address those constraints simply does not make sense,” Hemstreet noted. “If you speed up a part of the process that is not the bottleneck, you just create more pressure downstream and amplify the real constraint. That systems thinking is often overlooked in our industry. At the end of the day, you have to ask: Does this solve a real problem? If it does not, it is probably not the right investment at that point in time.”

The Power of Peer Collaboration

Beyond tools and equipment, Hemstreet points to trusted industry relationships as one of the most powerful drivers of continuous improvement.

“I feel very fortunate to have a strong network of peers in the industry, but more importantly, genuine friendships,” he said. “These are people I consider close friends, not just colleagues. Because of that, I know they have my best interests at heart and are willing to give me honest, unfiltered feedback.”

Those relationships often lead to meaningful operational changes.

“Some of the best ideas we have implemented did not come from formal meetings or structured planning sessions,” Hemstreet added. “They came from conversations between friends—talking shop over dinner, a late Friday phone call, or an afternoon shop tour. I recently had a friend stop by on a Sunday afternoon to tour our facilities, and within minutes we were challenging each other’s thinking and exploring new approaches. That kind of open, trust-based collaboration fuels continuous improvement in a way that no manual or seminar ever could.”

Future Proofing Through Mindset and Sustainability

When it comes to future proofing the business, Hemstreet believes humility and hunger for improvement are essential.

“None of us has a crystal ball. We cannot predict exactly where the industry is headed,” he said. “What we can control is our commitment to getting better. Anyone who knows me well knows I am a malcontent. I have never been comfortable with the status quo. I am always pushing to be better next month than we were last month, and better next year than we were this year. That mindset, a genuine hunger for improvement, is probably the closest thing to future-proofing that exists.”

Central to that mindset is a disciplined focus on profitability.

“Profitability has to remain central to the conversation,” Hemstreet emphasized. “I look at it as sustainability. Without healthy profitability, we cannot invest in our people, we cannot adopt new technology, we cannot elevate the customer experience, and we certainly cannot invest in the future. Profitability is not optional. Profitability is sustainability.”

“Darryl’s perspective is a powerful reminder that innovation is not just about buying the newest equipment,” said Andrew Northrup, Zone Director, Canada – West, CARSTAR. “His focus on people, process, identifying real constraints, and maintaining healthy profitability ensures that investments are intentional and sustainable. That kind of systems thinking and continuous improvement mindset is what keeps CARSTAR Red Deer and CARSTAR Red Deer South strong in an evolving industry.”

As the collision repair landscape continues to shift, Hemstreet’s approach reinforces a clear message: innovation is not defined by technology alone, but by disciplined decision making, trusted collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to getting better every day.