For Anil and Sarah Kumar, it’s about more than just a successful service repair operation

Midas Barrie Mapleview, located at 221 Mapleview Drive West in Barrie, Ontario, was recently crowned as Single Store Midas Franchisee of the Year not only for Canada, but for North America. For owners Anil and Sarah Kumar not only does this represent an incredible achievement, but also the embodiment of a philosophy that not only focuses on excelling in business, but strong community and personal relationships.

It all began when Anil Kumar arrived in New York City back in 1989 as a 17-year-old international student. Fresh off the plane, he didn’t have a place to stay and needed a job. “I was walking close to the 59th Street Bridge in Manhattan late one night and I came across a body shop that was open. I enquired about getting some work and was told to come back the following day. Because I didn’t have anywhere to stay I asked if I could wait until then, and was luckily able to stay on site with my luggage!” The manager came in the following day and offered Anil nighttime work. “This really worked out because I could go to school during the day and work in the shop in the evenings,” Kumar recalls.

First step

At the time, a lot of cars in NYC were being broken into and having the airbags stolen, so there was brisk work in replacing side window glass. Kumar had already observed one of the technicians install replacement glass in a Ford LTD Crown Victoria, and when another vehicle came in for the same issue and the technician assigned for that job hadn’t shown up, Anil offered to do the work. “I followed the steps that Jose [the tech on the previous job had shown me] and got the glass in and everything tightened.” Kumar completed the job in around 40 mins, less than anticipated, and the result was more than satisfactory. This led to other jobs, including painting cars. So impressive was his work, that the shop gave him the opportunity to repaint an entire limousine fleet in New York City, which, ultimately translated into a full time job. Eventually, Kumar was able to purchase the business when the owner decided to sell up. He added mechanical work and the business expanded in both revenue in scope. “In 1998 I got engaged and we decided to move from New York City to Virginia to raise a family. Kumar ended up acquiring another business, a gas station, that also had a few service bays to maintain and fix vehicles. In 2007, the Great Recession came along and Kumar’s business was a casualty. “When the recession hit, we spent over a year at home, trying to figure out what to do,” he says. A visit with relatives in Canada would ultimately provide the next opportunity.

“Sarah and I were at family function and sitting at our table was Glenn Root, Vice President of Canadian Operations for Midas. We got talking and he asked what I was doing. I said I had a couple tow trucks, but not much repair business due to the recession, so he asked if I would consider buying a Midas franchise in Canada.” And so the next chapter began.

Next opportunity

Kumar narrowed down the selection of potential candidates to four service centres, and found one that appeared suitable in Toronto. “It was within my budget at the time and I did my due diligence,” he says “but back then, it wasn’t performing well.” Once Anil took the helm, changes were made. By focusing on communication, transparency and commitment to the community, things began to turn around. After one year the shop was performing exceptionally well and revenues had increased substantially. “It really gave us hope,” says Anil “and proved that we could make a difference and do more.” While business was good, Kumar—ever looking toward the future—wanted to see if he could purchase a shop and the property from which it operated. It would take a few years but once again, opportunity came knocking. “We were on vacation in 2016, when Glenn called. He said there was an opportunity to buy a Midas location in Barrie as the owner was retiring.” Anil was familiar with the business, having done training there. “It was a beautiful building and had everything we were looking for, including the opportunity to grow. I said to Sarah this is the one we needed to buy, and so we did.”

With 14 service bays and 16 staff, Midas Barrie Mapleview is a large location by most independent service centre standards, and from the outset, Kumar could see it had great potential to be even better. “When we acquired the business, we started making changes, including processes and personnel.” One of the biggest was to reconfigure the reception area and process in communicating with customers. “First impressions are hugely important,” says Kumar “and it was essential that we were taking care of our customers.” Additionally, besides staffing and process changes, there was investment in new equipment and training to ensure Kumar’s technicians were ready to handle any vehicle and work that came through the service bay doors.

Community commitment

As things began to gel and productivity increased, along with reputation and business success, Anil, Sarah and the team at Midas Barrie Mapleview were compelled to do more in their local community. In 2020 this took on an entirely new meaning with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “When COVID came around, a lot of people were out of work, furloughed and/or sitting at home. That year’s Thanksgiving and Christmas was a tough time for many and so we decide to try and do something,” he says.

It began by asking customers if they knew someone in need, or those with kids that were struggling. The response was incredible, and so Anil and Sarah came up with a plan to help 50 families in the Barrie community. “Whatever they needed, we provided for them, whether it was food, medical supplies, or even to have their car repaired.” Word soon got around and what started out as an initiative to help 50 families, blossomed into supporting 257 of them with support coming in from individuals and businesses across the community. “Our staff [and our customers] got involved to help with this,” Anil says, “everything from vegetables and fruit, to dry foods, toilet paper, shampoo, toys, soccer balls.” Everyone from the Midas Barrie Mapleview team, including Anil and Sarah spent an entire day making sure 257 families received gift baskets at the door—personally delivering each and every one. Since then the initiative has grown. Last Christmas, the team fed 3645 families—an incredible achievement and one that’s made a huge impact on the Barrie community . Other stories of making a difference abound, including a customer whose husband passed away. “She brought her vehicle in, but it was so rusted, we couldn’t fix it. She was in a difficult situation, struggling with her family and needed mobility.” After providing her with a loaner vehicle from the shop, the team ended up transferring the ownership to her, giving her a reliable vehicle for her family. This led to the Spark initiative where the business purchased cars that needed work, fixed them up, to ensure they were roadworthy and gave them to families in need.

The right thing

Another story Anil shared, was that of a family from California who lost a trailer tire on their way up to Bracebridge and were stuck in Barrie after hours. A phone call led to Kumar and his team fixing the trailer. “It was an hour and a half of work but we were happy to do it, it was the right thing to do and they were so grateful. We stayed in touch for years afterward.”

Kumar is a firm believer in that “good things are contagious. Doing the right thing and helping others is what brought us to where we are today, and when you do something positive it expands outward and keeps going. We look at being named Single Store Midas franchisee in North America as proof of that.”

“Doing the right thing and helping others is what brought us to where we are today, and when you do something positive it expands outward and keeps going.”

–  Anil Kumar, Owner/Operator, Midas Barrie Mapleview

Technology, Transparency and Flexibility

We hear a lot about new technology and tools to help service providers, but at Midas Barrie Mapleview, they have become an integral part of lasting success. “Digital Vehicle Inspections have been a game changer for us,” Anil Kumar explains. “Our motto is to take care of people, be honest, stay on track and be transparent.” With DVI, Kumar says customers see what the issue is with their vehicle and the connection is not only strong, but empowering. “They can see the issue for themselves—and when we send a photo or video it’s as if they’re standing underneath the vehicle looking at it.” Kumar says it’s been a major factor in generating trust, repeat business and a loyal customer base. He’s also been investing in Artificial Intelligence to enhance the overall customer experience, such as booking appointments, follow ups and maintenance scheduling. “Receiving a message to come back and have your wheels torqued, may seem like a small thing,” he says, “but in my experience it’s the small things that can really make the difference.” Kumar also emphasizes flexibility and being able to find unique ways to solve problems, which when done effectively can serve as a great way to generate new business. A prime example included finding a solution to repair electric delivery vans and get them back on the road, when it had been suggested that parts were difficult to obtain. After languishing on a lot for three months, Kumar and his team found a way to source the parts needed and repair the vehicles. The result? A van, after sitting for months waiting for parts, was back on the road again in just three days.