Central Collision Named One Of The Top Ten Shops In The Country By ABRN Magazine

Central Collision Center, headquartered in Mokena, Ill., has been selected as one of the top 10 shops in the country through Auto Body Repair Network (ABRN) Magazine’s annual Top Shop competition.

According to ABRN Magazine, multiple generations of employees and customers make Central Collision a Top Shop. 

Thirteen percent of the company’s 84 employees are second-generation; 27 percent of employees have been with the company for more than 10 years.

“Our culture is the main reason for our success,” Caruso says. “We hire good people and we treat them right.”

ABRN Magazine’s Top Shop winners are chosen based on company profiles submitted by each shop. Areas of consideration include:  number, size and visual appearance of facilities; number of employees and employee certifications; commitment to training and education; management practices and community involvement.

Central Collision operates six traditional repair facilities in Peotone, Mokena, Crete, New Lenox Oak Forest and Tinley Park, Ill. and one same-day, 24-hour repair facility in Oak Forest, Ill.

To read ABRN Magazine's full article on Central Collision, visit the magazine's December 2013 issue online.

For more information about Central Collision, visit www.centralcollision.com. 

To apply for a career with Central Collision Center, visit the employment page on our website.

Mike Caruso Named FenderBender Magazine's Executive of the Year

At the young age of 23, Mike Caruso and his wife, Nancy, purchased a small auto body shop in Peotone, Ill. The two lived and breathed for their new business, operating the body shop, a tow truck and even a hot dog stand at the front of the shop's property to make ends meet. Many nights, Caruso slept at his desk in between tow calls. His wife, Nancy, worked a full-time job at a nearby hospital. When her shift at the hospital was over, Nancy drove straight to the shop to continue working.

Fast forward 32 years.

Caruso now runs six-location, 85 employee Central Collision Center and has been named
FenderBender Magazine's Executive of the Year. 

Caruso is known for his hard work, business development and commitment to family culture.

Serving the collision repair industry nationally, FenderBender Magazine celebrates the success stories of driven, dedicated and benevolent collision repair professionals each year with the FenderBender Awards.

Caruso credits his company's culture and dedicated employees for the company's success.

"Out of our 85 employees, 16 percent have been here 15 years or more and 11 percent are second generation employees," Caruso said. "We've built a family culture at Central and that is one thing that will never change, even as we expand our business."

Caruso and his team have expanded Central Collision Center throughout the Chicago southland with facilities in Peotone, Mokena, Crete, New Lenox, Oak Forest and Tinley Park, Ill. and one same-day, 24-hour repair facility, Central Express, in Oak Forest, Ill. The company prides itself on customer service, quality and timely repairs, and family culture. 

Read FenderBender's article on Caruso here.