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| Caruso managed and worked out of the Peotone location. |
After working in his friend's shop for three years, Caruso learned about a body shop in
Peotone going out of business when the owners contacted him to purchase
equipment. When he drove to the shop on a Saturday morning, Caruso had a strong
feeling that's where he belonged.
At just 23 years old, Caruso and his wife, Nancy, bought the Peotone shop for $40,000.
"It might as well have been $40 million," Caruso said. "I didn't have 40 cents to my name then."
At just 23 years old, Caruso and his wife, Nancy, bought the Peotone shop for $40,000.
"It might as well have been $40 million," Caruso said. "I didn't have 40 cents to my name then."
The couple closed on the property on May 12, 1981. A few weeks later, a hailstorm hit, damaging nearly every car in Will County.
Thirty-two years later, Mike and Nancy Caruso have created a successful, family owned and operated six-shop collision repair business.
Thirty-two years later, Mike and Nancy Caruso have created a successful, family owned and operated six-shop collision repair business.
We sat down with Central Collision Center President and Owner Mike Caruso to learn
how he created a successful business at such a young age. Here are his top 5
tips for small business owners:
- Be honest and loyal to your employees, customers, business
partners and yourself
My favorite part of what I do is spending time with our employees, most of which have been with us long enough I consider them my extended family. Having an open relationship with the people you work with – whether its employees, customers, vendors, etc. – makes work enjoyable. I want our employees to be proud to work at Central Collision, and that can’t happen unless I’m honest with them.
Caruso addresses employees at the company's
annual Christmas party. - Deliver a product better than your competitors
We will continue to invest in continuing education and training for our employees to make sure we are delivering the highest quality product and service. If you’re not providing a quality service, you’re setting yourself up for failure. I stand behind our technicians’ work 110% because I know the type of quality they produce on every vehicle.
- Always work to improve your process
Our team meets regularly to discuss ways to improve. Between monthly planning, management, CSR and manager meetings and daily production meetings, we are constantly troubleshooting ways to be more efficient. You can never sit back and say “things are going great.” There is always room for improvement.
- Be open to change
One challenge we face is staying up to date with changes from auto manufacturers, insurance companies and general regulations. But we work extremely hard to make sure we are on top of the changes and execute procedures properly. Embracing these changes instead of fighting them has been one of our biggest keys to success.
Mike and Nancy Caruso matched all employee
donations at the company's annual food drive
benefitting Alicia's House Food Pantry.
- Give back to the communities that support you
Without the local communities’ support, Central Collision would not have made it 32 years. I can’t thank everyone enough who has supported our business. We will always give back to our communities because of what they have done for us. Even as Central continues to grow to serve our expanding customer base and insurance partners, we will never be too big that we can’t service each individual customer properly.
From the entire Central Collision Center team and the Caruso family, thank you for your continued support. We could not have made it 32 years without you!
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| From left: Michael, Marissa, Mike, Nancy and Matt Caruso |
