THE LEGACY OF SUCCESS

THE WORK OF A FOURTH-GENERATION PROFESSIONAL IN CREATING A RAPIDLY GROWING MSO IN QUEBEC

It should come as no surprise Jean-Luc Rouleau was drawn toward the collision repair business—he is part of the fourth generation of his family to work in the industry.

“My father was a car painter, as was my grandfather and greatgrandfather— so this has always been a part of my life,” he says. It is a legacy the Montreal-area repairer is carrying forward with gusto—and one that has grown far beyond his initial expectations.

Now the owner of multiple CARSTAR locations in Quebec, Jean-Luc had his big break when he was approached by industry mainstay Frank Tokatlidis about becoming co-owners of CARSTAR Le Cabriolet in 2018. The partnership proved to be a perfect match from the start.

“From my point of view, I believe that Frank saw the same passion and determination in Jean-Luc that he had himself,” explains Arianne Fournier, Rouleau’s wife and directrice of CARSTAR St-Hubert. “They really had great chemistry—so much so that after only eight months, they acquired a second workshop together.”

Jean-Luc has expanded his MSO to include multiple operations in the Montreal area while earning a reputation as an efficient, resultsoriented owner from the CARSTAR franchise team. While Frank would pass away in 2022, he lived long enough to pass on his faith in Rouleau to the broader CARSTAR network. That confidence has proven well-founded as Rouleau has continued expanding his operations.

“Jean-Luc is an incredible owner, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for him and his teams,” said Rémi Michaud, zone director, CARSTAR Canada, after Rouleau’s 2024 acquisition of CARSTAR Greenfield Park in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. “I’m proud to see him expand his business to help serve more customers.”

Since then, Jean-Luc and a new partner have acquired three additional locations, bringing his total to seven. He believes a key aspect to the business’s success comes down to the warm relationship he has with his employees.

“Jean-Luc is an incredible owner, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for him and his teams. I’m proud to see him expand his business to help serve more customers.”

— Rémi Michaud, zone director, CARSTAR Canada, after Rouleau’s 2024 acquisition of CARSTAR Greenfield Park in Saint-Hubert, Quebec.

“Even today, seven years later, we still have the same team at [our first] workshop,” Jean-Luc says, adding that: “Over the years, we have built a family atmosphere, with loyal employees who are as passionate as we are.”

This commitment to his team extends to genuine mentorship and development. Arianne, who first met Jean-Luc in 2015 when she brought her resume to his then-CARSTAR St-Laurent location, experienced this firsthand.

“I was initially hired to fill the position of panel beater,” she recalls. “After only a few months, I developed an interest in estimating, and Jean-Luc took the time to explain it to me and train me. At the same time, a friendship developed—one that quickly turned into love.” Like Jean-Luc, Arianne had a strong connection to the collision repair industry. During her childhood, her auto body repairer and business-owner father and her mother would take her to car shows across Quebec and the United States.

It’s already been 10 years since we first met... [Looking back, I think] Jean-Luc’s passion for collision repair—which I share—played a role.” This familial mindset Jean-Luc adopts extends far beyond the walls of his businesses and to the industry as a whole, including his own family. His son Jessy and nephew Zackary have both joined the business.

“My son Jessy and my nephew Zackary started working with us during the summer when they were 15. And when they finished high school, they started working with us full-time,” Rouleau says. Fournier, who became Jessy’s stepmother when he was just 9 years old, has watched this transition unfold firsthand.

Through a training centre in St. Hubert, Jean-Luc also works with local technical colleges to offer apprentices real-world experience. The training environment mirrors the conditions of his repair centres, creating a smooth transition for students into full-time roles.

To stay at the forefront of a fast-changing industry, Jean-Luc emphasizes the need for ongoing education and updated tools—particularly as electric vehicles become more prominent on the roads.

“We need to buy the equipment and have ongoing training for ourselves and our employees,” he said. “We certainly have strong support from our CARSTAR banner, which keeps us up to date with the latest industry updates. We also push hard for I-CAR training and purchase state-of-the-art equipment.”

His dedication to continuous improvement is evident in his daily approach to the business. “He is truly passionate about it,” Fournier observes. “Not a day goes by without him learning, observing, and studying everything there is to know about car bodywork. He is always challenging himself to improve and, at the same time, improve our teams.”

While many still underestimate the skill required to safely repair modern vehicles, Jean-Luc sees the sector as a high-tech, evolving industry offering a great deal of long-term career potential.

“The field of auto repair was said to be boring and redundant. Now we have vacuum cleaners for sandblasting, air induction masks and lifts so that technicians have a better quality of work and can work for many years,” said Jean-Luc. “Each collision is different, so each repair on a vehicle is a new challenge.”

It is a perspective he shares with the most important repair professional in his life—his wife and business partner, Fournier, who continues to work as an estimator while serving as Directrice of CARSTAR St-Hubert.

Recently, Rouleau’s passion for the auto repair sector in Quebec— and the rest of Canada—was honoured in Collision Repair magazine. In September, he was named as one of the top 30 industry figures under 40 years old.

“I am very happy and flattered to be able to share, in a few lines, my vision of the industry for which I have had an immense passion since my youngest age,” he said on receiving the honour.

CARSTAR Greenfield Park boasts 3,700 square feet and is staffed by a team of five full-time collision repair experts, representing just one piece of Rouleau’s growing MSO empire—one built on the foundation of family values, continuous learning, and an unwavering passion for the collision repair industry.