Toronto, Ontario -- Waterdown Collision is opening a 3,700-square-metre (40,000-square-foot) facility in July 2026, a move prompted by the Ontario government's decision to expropriate the business's existing site in order to construct a highway interchange.
“I should have taken this step 15 years ago," says president Max DiFelice, a part of the second generation of the family to own the business. "We’ve been going through an expropriation process for a long time -- and it can be difficult to move during that process."
According to DiFelice, the building, which is now under construction, will be about four times the size of the current shop at 24 Dundas Street East. He adds the new location will allow the business to offer more services in-house.
“In the new building we’re expanding our mechanical department by bringing in services like alignment, calibration and glass installation."
DiFelice says the new facility's larger footprint will also allow the business to acheive several new certifications. “We’re also bringing in a lot of new equipment required for certifications, including Cellette racks and oversized paint booths able to accommodate mid-sized trucks.”
The shop is preparing for program requirements from newer manufacturers. “We’re focused on VW, VinFast, Rivian.” The scale of the structure is one of the enabling factors. “Because of the design of the new building we can bring larger-sized vehicles in.”
"In our current place, we haven't got enough space to fit all the equipment we need for some certification programs.... [For several of these programs] we’re at the doorstep, having completed the required training and acquired the necessary equipment."
Alongside the addition of new services and certifications, the facility is expected to allow Waterdown Collision to work more effectively on larger vehicles.
“Forty percent of our business are larger to mid-sized trucks.The new Celette racks can accommodate larger vehicles and our new spray booths are about twice as long and one-and-a-half times as tall as normal ones."
DiFelice says the new facility will allow the business to bring between 10 and 12 additional employees into the business, including estimators, a business relationship specialist and several collision technicians.
