Callander, Ontario -- Forty years may have passed, but Guy Viel still remembers the day his parents, Real and Rose, founded R. Viel Auto Body inside a 111 square-metre (1,200 square-foot) facility in Timmins, Ontario."
"I was in high school when we launched — and it wasn't a big deal," says Guy, who has been with the business since its launch. "My dad never did big launches or celebrations for that sort of thing. I guess it's something we share -- we're not even holding an event for the 40th!"
Real and Rose remained involved in the business long after it was taken over by Guy in 2003 and rebranded as Viel Auto Body & Collision Inc. Both remained fixtures at the shop until they passed in 2022.
Real’s legacy still shapes the way the team works today. "His golden rule -- which I still follow -- was very simple: Don't do to a client’s cars what you won't do to your own," says Guy.
Under the second generation of Viel leadership, the company has expanded -- both in terms of its facility's size and its workforce's. Still based on the same property, the business now boasts a 464 square-metre (5,000 square-foot) facility and employs nine full-time staff members.
"We try to do things right the first time -- there's no money in redoing the job twice," jokes Guy, who says the biggest challenge the shop is facing, is one shared across Canada: finding skilled labour. "We're always on the lookout. I’m sure it's the same in every city."
Looking ahead, Viel Auto Body & Collision is preparing for another generational transition. Guy's children, Daniel and Patricia, are already working in the business.
"In the next three-to-five years, I plan to transition ownership to my son and daughter," Guy said. "Then, we'll need to replace someone on the floor."
He added that his father would have been thrilled to see the family business carried on by a third generation. "My dad would be excited to see it change hands to the third generation. He would take great pride in that."
"I feel that same pride, too. It's something we'd share."
