ENGINEERING SUCCESS

Like so many who find themselves with a passion for the collision repair industry, co-owners of Simplicity Car Care Windsor, Windsor East, and Windsor LaSalle, brothers Sia and Arash Mokhtari grew up surrounded by cars in need of repairs. Having spent a childhood working and learning in their father’s mechanical shop in the Windsor, Ontario area, the brothers gained an exposure to the industry that is familiar to many who continue to call the bodyshop a home away from home. Sia and Arash would only build upon the foundations of their childhood after first taking a detour to work as engineers on the other side of the country.

“As kids, we were always around dad and in the shop. However, he originally didn’t want us to follow him into the industry. He wanted us to be either doctors or engineers,” said Sia. “I passed on being a doctor. So, I had to be an engineer.”

Arash and Sia both worked to get their degrees in civil engineering. They each spent over a decade working on the oil sands in Alberta.

It later became obvious that their true goal in life was to continue building “another branch to the tree that was already planted.” “We shared a vision to grow and expand the collision side of the business,” said Arash. So, in 2015, the brothers purchased their first collision repair facility in Windsor and then in 2018, they joined the Simplicity Car Care network.

“With the help and guidance of the members of the Simplicity team, our insurance partners and our great clients, we were slowly able to add to our facilities one by one,” Sia said.

“The Simplicity leadership team is always open to sharing their knowledge of the industry and helping all franchisees grow. We felt that Simplicity would be a good fit for us because we share a similar view on the future of the industry and like them, we believe in the cornerstone of business being built on customer satisfaction.”

“We are a performance-based MSO (Multi-Simplicity Owner) and we take that very seriously. From calibrations to ceramic coatings, you name it, we do it!” — Sia Mokhtari, co-owner of Simplicity Car Care Windsor, Windsor East, and Windsor LaSalle.

“Our goal is to build lasting relationships with our clients and insurance partners by providing exceptional service and high-quality repairs.” — Arash Mokhtari, co-owner of Simplicity Car Care Windsor, Windsor East, and Windsor LaSalle.

When asked about the transition from engineering and back to the automotive industry, the brothers say their degrees have imparted an ability to think analytically, but most of their knowledge of collision repair continues to be learned on the shop floor. In continuing to work on gaining their own certifications, the brothers were quick to highlight how their current success comes from the team of approximately 30 membersthey have throughout their locations.

“We have a team of amazing certified technicians and we invest a lot of time into ensuring they have the proper training,” commented Sia. “We’re involved on a daily basis in every aspect of the business.” “In our day to day, we always try to focus on customer service, retention and performance,” added Arash. “Our goal is to build lasting relationships with our clients and insurance partners by providing exceptional service and high-quality repairs. We’re committed to delivering the best performance in every job, ensuring that every client’s experience is seamless and satisfying. We have invested in new paint booths, manufacturer-approved resistance spot welders, MIG welders and 3D computerized measuring systems which allow us to perform a quality repair more efficiently.”

When it comes to acquiring talent for their three facilities, the brothers believe that a lot hiring struggles come down to management styles. This is where Arash and Sia try to differentiate the business by being what they describe as “leaders in the industry, but not bosses.”

“I’ve learned a lot from my PMP certification on how to change both technicians’ and the general public’s perception of the industry,” commented Sia. “We’re trying to move away from the old school style of managing that was often more discipline focused. This style just doesn’t work these days. You have to keep people motivated and understand the psychology of each person. It’s about knowing what motivates them, what keeps them happy and then taking this information and creating an environment that’s safe, free from hazards and negativity.” These personable strategies were one of the shining lights guiding the brothers and their businesses through the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Our proudest moment is also the efforts we took to navigate our locations through the pandemic,” said Arash. “There was an immense drop in volume during this time, but we also took that time to implement and improve the existing processes we had and perfect them for when volumes would rise again.”

Simplicity Windsor was even able to retain all staff.

“Our motto is always we’ll eat less, as long as everyone eats with us.”

This community mindset is something that the brothers feel helps set their business apart from others in the area. And, by investing in top-of-the-line tools, training, certifications and in-house services, Arash and Sia are ready for the future.

“We’re open to acquiring more facilities and are always open for opportunities to grow and develop with Simplicity Car Care,” concluded Arash.

“We’re not the masters of anything,” added Sia, “but we do our best to learn and grow from others’ experiences and knowledge so that we can, day by day, better ourselves and our capabilities.”

“On behalf of our entire family and organization, we would like to thank all our loyal clients, insurance partners and everyone at the Simplicity Network for all the support we have received. We will continue to provide our existing cliental with great service and look forward to welcoming new cliental and insurance partners to our facilities across the market.”

“Sia and Arash have done an outstanding job at growing their business over the past several years. I’m most proud of their dedication to our customers and their willingness to learn and grow. They continue to lead by example and are always investing in the betterment of their business and people. Congratulations Sia and Arash on all your success, and I look forward to your continued growth.” — Domenic Ieraci, President, Simplicity Car Care