American author Mark Twain summed up success well when he observed, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
Over the years, Twain’s phrase has found many interpretations around the world but for Steve Leal, CEO and President of Mondofix Inc. (Fix Network World), it’s a personal mantra that fuels his ambition for global growth. This is perhaps the reason why, despite the challenging times we are in, Leal continues to explore new markets and has successfully grown his network over the years.
ProColor Collision is one such beneficiary of Leal’s vision. The iconic automotive brand has grown considerably since Leal’s company acquired the brand last year from Uni-Select. Before the acquisition, ProColor Collision was known as a Quebec-based brand with 172 locations. Over the past year, Fix Network World has expanded the brand outside of Quebec and remains on course to touch 200 shops across Canada by the end of the year. In September this year, Fix Network World boldly announced the debut of ProColor Collision in the United States.
Over the years, Fix Network World has become a respected name in the global automotive aftermarket business, spreading its footprint across Canada, the United States, Mexico, Europe, United Kingdom, China, Australia and New Zealand.
“Our franchise development is driven by the fact that, in these uncertain times, an increasing number of independent collision repair shops are recognizing the importance of aligning themselves with an established global franchise network. By working with a reputed franchise structure such as Fix Network World, they have successfully sustained their businesses while training their teams in the most advanced auto repair technologies,” he says.
Leal points out that the launch of ProColor Collision in the US market was part of a long-term strategy to grow the network’s reach worldwide in all areas of the automotive aftermarket, which includes the collision, glass and mechanical repair segments. It had acquired the global rights to Minnesota-headquartered NOVUS Glass in 2017.
“Over the past few years, we have identified several opportunities for developing each brand in the Fix Network World family, including ProColor Collision. The investment of our time and efforts towards this approach have helped to consolidate our foundations. We are now leveraging new opportunities available to us to ramp up that growth.”
The current challenging times have led many body shop owners across the world to question their decision to enter the world of entrepreneurship or curtail their operations, but Leal encourages them to persist with their dream. “Often times, the key to starting and staying the course is finding something that inspires you and makes you look forward to the journey ahead instead of dreading it,” he adds.
“Our goal is to help such entrepreneurs to stabilize their businesses and never lose sight of their visions,” Leal says. “An increasing number of body shops are aligning with us because we equip them with the right proprietary tools and technologies that can help them drive their business with total control. This essentially gives them the power to experience the ‘local operation, global thinking’ business model.”
For now, the group is eyeing the large number of independent collision shops in the US that could join the ProColor Collision network. As with other markets, the expansion of ProColor Collision’s US footprint will be driven by franchise development. Currently, the group is focused on building ProColor Collision’s presence in California, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
In the extremely competitive aftermarket business, it is about reshaping or reinforcing your service offering to deliver the personal experience that franchise partners of ProColor Collision would like to have. ProColor Collision supports the individual needs of its partners and delivering them tailor-made solutions that will help to grow their businesses further. Plus, the power of the network to franchise owners is undeniable.
Leal concludes by encouraging body shops not to lose sight of the opportunities, come what may. “These times are an excellent opportunity for body shop owners to review their operational efficiencies and build on their core strengths. Business agility is an important part of the game – if you get it right, people will be excited by your brand,” he adds.
To learn how ProColor Collision can help you get it right, read more here.
