HAWKINS CHEVROLET BREAKS GROUND ON NEW BUSINESS

We have some exciting news to start out the new year with a special announcement from Hawkins Chevrolet. Many may already know this as it’s been a year in planning, but we just hadn’t officially announced it.

How it came about
Just over a year ago, well-respected body shop, Don’s Body Shop, closed due to Don and Pat’s retirement. Don did almost all the body work for Hawkins Chevrolet during the nearly 30 years he was in business. Their only non-family employee, Jeff Smith, was a long-time employee. He approached us about doing our body work. However, after doing some research, we discovered that there was a real gap in the collision repair business due to Don’s retirement. After a year of research and planning, we made the decision that creating our own fully-functioning shop was the way to proceed. So, coming late spring or early summer, our new Hawkins Collision Center should be complete.

New building and technology
Our new facility will be located on the east end of our north lot, across the street from Day Plumbing. It will be a simple but efficient building that will include an indoor estimating bay, a new efficient downdraft paint booth with a baking system and room for growth. We are excited about making this substantial investment in Fairmont and using all local contractors for our project. Just as importantly, we are anxious to provide the same great service that Don did for many years. From an economic standpoint, we are saving one job and adding three more…with a hope for more.

Already operating
As a bonus, our body shop is already in operation doing smaller body repairs. The new owner of Don’s former body shop building is renting it to us during the construction process. Due to the backlog in collision repairs, we have been very busy already and are taking jobs daily. This will also give us a chance to start developing our systems so we can hit the ground running when the building is completed.

We are thankful to Fairmont and the surrounding communities for supporting our business. We are looking forward to offering great collision repair service for years to come.