Women Lead the Way: CARSTAR hosts more than 40 women in the industry at an International Women’s Raptors game in celebration of International Women's Day

Toronto, Ontario — On Saturday, March 8th, CARSTAR celebrated the efforts of women in the industry by hosting more than 40 attendees at the International Women’s Game in which the Raptors played against the Washington Wizards.

“Like so many in the industry, I just fell into collision repair,” Laura Trousdale, manager of CARSTAR Arnprior told Collision Repair magazine. “My dad is a bodyman and so I felt comfortable in the shop, but I didn’t originally realize it could be a career for me. I started out at mom-and-pop shops, but made the jump to CARSTAR in November 2021. Being a part of CARSTAR has helped increase my confidence and I’ve helped to increase sales and relationships with insurance.

“Events like the International Women’s Game are so important,” Trousdale continued. “There’s not normally lots of women in the bodyshop, and so it’s nice to feel support from other women and hear how they are embracing the industry. It’s also nice to see women from the field and those representing CARSTAR. Overall, I had an amazing time at the game.”

“If I had to give my younger self one piece of advice as a woman in the industry,” Trousdale said, “I would tell her to get into the body industry earlier. I was in the service department before the bodyshop and would’ve pushed to be with CARSTAR earlier. I believe this would have helped me push even sooner to expand my knowledge, build relationships and help with sales.”

Similarly, for Angela Biskup, office manager, CARSTAR Burlington, collision repair runs in the family.

“My husband, Adam Biskup, is the owner of CARSTAR Burlington and we were originally approached by Sam Mercanti, who convinced us to join the franchise in 1995. CARSTAR has given our business validity in the community, and I’m really happy to participate in events like the International Women’s Game.”

“For me,” Biskup continued, “events like these are important because it makes you see the other women out there. It was nice making connections and relationships in a non-work-related environment. It was also great to be able to connect with CARSTAR Corporate and other employees that you don’t see every day.”

“If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to form relationships,” Biskup concluded. “It’s always good to have a support system for your business inside and out.”

And, for Laura Munarolo, marketing coordinator, Torcam Group, it is the support of family passion that also drove an initial interest in the collision repair industry.

“The collision repair industry has been in the family for a long time and owns four CARSTAR locations. As a result, I worked at CARSTAR when I was younger on the administrative side of things. The drive and passion I experienced sparked an interest for me. The collision repair industry is definitely the right fit for me and brings me happiness.”

“I am now part of the marketing, image desk and the management team,” Munarolo continued. I love the industry and I love the energy of CARSTAR—especially its charity initiatives with Cystic Fibrosis Canada.”

“The International Women’s Game is a huge part of making women feel welcomed in the field,” Munarolo said. “I’ve heard customers ask for men instead, and the field is mostly male-dominated. Nights like this give women the confidence to be in a field that is mostly men. This being said, our staff is mostly women and it was great to see so many show up. It’s very nice to see so many women come together and it’s so nice to see employees outside of work and in a different light.”

“If I had to give my younger self and women looking to get into the industry any advice, it would be to keep pushing, learning and growing in the field,” Munarolo concluded. “Because I started in the administrative side of the business, I didn’t know a tonne about the field. When I shifted into other roles, I had to know how things worked and I worked hard to expand my knowledge.”

“Keep pushing and learning and keep doing everything in your power to grow in the field!”

Finally, for Natasha Woods, vice president of Saputo Capital Collision Group, it’s all about remembering that “women are here to shatter glass ceilings.”

“My piece of advice,” Woods said, “is to go for it and don’t hold back. We can create our own opportunities and determine our own future. Don’t allow self-doubt or let fear stop you.”

“While we are making great progress in the industry, there is still more work to be done,” Woods continued. “By raising awareness and showcasing the contributions of women in the industry today, we can inspire and encourage more women to join in the future.

“The reality is that women still face numerous challenges in the industry and it is important to remain proactive. Women experience gender stereotypes, discrimination and a lack of workplace culture support. By addressing these challenges together—through education, mentorship, cultural shifts and industry-wide support—we can build a more diverse environment.”

“It’s about progress over perfection,” Woods concluded. “It’s all about being willing to make a start.”

Check out exclusive photos from the event here.