The 17,000-square-foot facility is owned by two father-son duos, Ray Orozco and son Tim Orozco; and Dan Baca and son Moses Gomez.  Their shop marks the 12th Carstar facility in Denver and is part of a network of more than 375 collision repair shops in the United States and Canada that are locally owned and operated.

"From our perspective the days of the independent body shop are numbered," Gomez said.  While the group knew how to perform quality repairs, it was difficult for them to attract insurance work at their former shop on Morrison Road, which included restorations, he said.  "A lot of the work we did have was from longtime customers."

Before joining the Carstar network, Gomez said they did their due diligence.

"Seeing other shops allowed us to make the move," Gomez said, adding that he was impressed with their work flow and in general the way the shops were run.  "They train you on how the insurance companies want the shop to be run," he said.  "When they're happy, we're happy."

The initial training involved the front-end portion of the business, Gomez said, and areas the crew needed help with.

"Most of us worked in the back," Baca said.  "The program helped with the paperwork and front office."

After passing American International Group Inc.'s (AIG's) DRP qualification test, he said, they're confident that they can pass most other insurers' qualifying tests.  "Insurers want a good repair was well as clean paperwork," he said. "The Carstar training made all the difference."

"Carstar wants the customer to get the same service, regardless of the shop, just like McDonald's," Gomez said, adding that this also holds true for insurance adjusters.  After nine months, the shop now works with four DRPs, he said, and hopes to add more.

Gomez said the shop still has a following from its old location but admitted that changing the business name and relocating to a new shop has its challenges and is similar to starting over again.

However, the new location in downtown Littleton draws a lot of drive-by traffic, he said, adding that their new customer demographic brings high-end vehicles, such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Jaguar.  "We've worked on them before, but not at this volume."

Carstar also has a marketing agent that represents all 12 Colorado stores.  All the owners pitch in and print fliers and newsletters aimed at insurance agents, Gomez said.

In addition to collective marketing, the group has strength in numbers when it comes to working with vendors. "A national buying manager will negotiate price," Tim Orozco said.  "We get a better price as a group than as an individual shop."  He said they mainly purchase aftermarket crash parts from Keystone and OE parts from Century Chevrolet, Stevinson Toyota East, Perkins Dodge, and Go Courtesy Ford.

Other vendors include Finish Master, their vendor for BASF Diamont paint, Cintas for floor mats and uniforms, and Crest for clips and fasteners.  "A lot of these items we were already using," Gomez said.  "We now get a rebate back, which almost pays for the franchise fee."

Baca said he sprays Diamont in their DeVilbiss downdraft paint booth, a paint he swears by, having used it for several years.

The shop recently purchased a Car-O-Liner BenchRack system and the Car-O-Soft Vision electronic frame measuring system from Jurassic Equipment, Orozco said.  "It's the best frame rack and measuring system on the market."  He added that he uses two Lincoln welders but would like to purchase a spot resistance welder as soon as the rack is paid off.

After the Littleton shop gets up and running, Gomez said they plan on opening a second Carstar location in the next five years.