With more than 50 years of experience, CSN 427 Auto Collision has deep roots in the collision repair industry. Since day one, this family-run business has unequivocally demonstrated the value in taking risks and striving for constant betterment— qualities that are especially important in this new pandemic day and age.
The company has always taken risks—and thrived because of it. Right from the get-go, the D’Alessandro family-run business has never stayed stagnant. Beginning with Ralph D’Alessandro when he launched his very first body shop.
Ralph didn’t take time to get comfortable owning one shop before he decided to expand the business by investing in a much larger property—which was previously a light manufacturing building.
This decision was especially risky, as the family had to transform the space to operate as an automotive facility, requiring them to invest heavily and install all new equipment.
The company’s next big move occurred in 1999 when CSN Collision Centres were formed. This partnership allowed 427 Auto Collision to keep its identity while remaining under the same umbrella as the “best of the best shops,” explained Lorenzo D’Alessandro, President, CSN 427 Auto and CSN Avenue Collision.
To further the company’s reach and continue its legacy of growth, the D’Alessandro family began looking into OEM certifications, which were just beginning to gain popularity as vehicles started to become more sophisticated.
The first-ever vehicle CSN 427 Auto received an OEM certification for was the Acura NSX in 1999. In the following years, the company continued to grow and expand its network to become one of the first shops in North America to be OE certified in both aluminum and steel.
Investing heavily in 2004 to become certified for Audi aluminum repair was a “big risk,” said Lorenzo.
“In the beginning, it was very difficult, very few manufacturers were using aluminum and at the time no other repairers we’re really considering it.”
Over that past 16 years, CSN 427 Auto has continued to concur challenges in leaps and bounds. Currently, the shop is one of the most- OE-certified facilities in the country—with its most recent OEM certification coming from Tesla at both CSN 427 Auto and CSN Avenue Collision,
“Our Shops are proud to have earned over 20 certifications. This has been a long journey and continues to be a lot of work, but we believe that this is the future of repair. We are always continually growing here investing in certifications, tools and training is a must,” said Lorenzo.
CSN 427 Auto was also the first Canadian shop to join the Akzo Nobel Platinum North American Performance Group, a group of high performing collision centres that meet to discuss continual improvement initiatives and work through shop issues.
“As a Canadian shop, it was a big deal to be a part of this group and it helped us focus on creating the team environment we have today” explained Lorenzo. Soon after, the company received its first major award – North American Body Shop of the Year.
CSN 427 Auto’s current goals are continuing to obtain certifications and getting ahead on training.
“The pandemic has been a good opportunity to take a closer look at the training programs we are involved in—from OE certifications to I-CAR and Akzo Nobel, there are so many different courses available,” said Jessica D’Alessandro, PR and Marketing coordinator at CSN 427 Auto. “It’s easy for shops to get lost and we want to offer the best courses to our team.”
With so many new technological advancements coming into play, Lorenzo urges shops to keep up to date on training and continue to pursue OEM certifications.
“If a shop is not doing training and updating equipment it’s going to catch up to them,” he warns.
Although OEM certifications are quite costly and time-consuming, CSN 427 Auto and CSN Avenue Collision are unwilling to neglect them.
“The top priority is our customers and their safety,” said Lorenzo. “Without the right repair procedures, equipment and training we can’t see how you would ensure a repair has been completed properly—this is not a risk our shops are willing to take.”
Continual training and the inability to settle for nothing short of spectacular has played a role in CSN 427 Auto’s success.
“At our shops, continual improvement is a major part of the culture and training is a huge component of this—we take pride in what we do and the high-quality repairs we are known for. Staying up-to-date with the newest training and technology is a necessity.”
Throughout these unprecedented times, CSN 427 Auto’s willingness to grow, take risks and learn can be seen as a source of inspiration for shops all over the nation.
“We’re continually changing, and not fearing that change,” said Lorenzo.
For over 50 years CSN 427 Auto and CSN Avenue Collision have partnered directly with OEs, dealerships and insurance companies to produce safe, high quality repairs. When you take your vehicle to one of our facilities you can rest assured it will be serviced by highly skilled technicians, equipped with the latest repair technology and procedures.
427autocollision.com | Avenuecollision.com
