Toronto, Ontario -- More than 250 people attended the grand re-opening of York Mills Automotive as Fix Auto York Mills and NOVUS Glass York Mills on Friday in Toronto.
The three-hour celebration from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. featured tours of the 1,672-square-metre (18,000-square-foot) facility, which employs 25 staff members across 40 repair bays and services between 30 and 40 vehicles per week.
It also included live radio broadcasts from Z103.5 FM and exhibits from 20 vendors at the shop's location at 1881 Leslie St.
The event brings a prolonged transitional period for the business to a close.
Last year, the business's founder, Hayik Goren mentioned to Manny Pacheco, vice-president of CHC paint and bodyshop supplies, that he was looking to sell to an owner who shared his values.
"When he said he was looking to sell the business, I immediately thought of Louis," says Pacheco. "They both like to give back to the community and their employees. Both are committed to evolving with the industry."
Following the conversation, Pacheco introduced Goren to Louie Riccelli -- who went on to purchase the business.
After the acquisition, Riccelli met with representatives of several collision franchises, hoping to find one that would be supportive of his vision for the business. In particular, he was keen to find one that would make it easier for the business to move into calibrations and glass repair.
"They seemed to be the most professional and organized of the franchises," says Riccelli. "The way the Fix/Novus team approached me and handled the introductions and showed me what an already well-established network could be, I believed them."
Riccelli wasn't the only person left impressed during the meeting. According to Zakari Krieger, vice-president of NOVUS Glass Canada, his whole team was thrilled by the prospect of partnering with Riccelli."]
"When we were introduced to Louis, we already knew he was a great operator... He'd already made significant investments in calibrations and had made significant improvements to its social media strategy."
Going forward, Riccelli says he plans to continue improving the breadth of offerings available at the facility.
"I want to see the business get into more certifications – particularly luxury ones because of our proximity to the Bridal path. I'd like to see us specialize in luxury brand vehicles," he says.
