Bill Davidson transformed Raydar Auto Body from a single Mission, B.C. location into Western Canada's fastest-growing collision repair operation with 14 locations by prioritizing employee relationships, mentorship and a people-first company culture over rapid sales growth.
- Bill Davidson purchased the original Raydar Auto Body in Mission, B.C., in 2018 and grew it into a 14-location MSO in Western Canada
- Davidson's leadership philosophy emphasizes mentorship, autonomy and accountability, empowering management teams while maintaining strong workplace culture
- The company adopted a people-first approach early on, believing that sales and customer service naturally follow when employees are treated with respect and care
- Davidson credits his success to hands-on experience in collision repair, paint distribution leadership and exposure to shop operations across Western Canada
- Growth accelerated as longtime shop owners nearing retirement sought a trusted successor who would preserve their employees and company values
For Bill Davidson, time away from the shop often still involves the work he loves. On weekends, he’s usually back in the garage.
Sometimes it’s a 1973 International Scout he’s building for his wife. Other times it’s an old shovelhead motorcycle he’s restoring with his son.
“When you’re teaching kids to fabricate and paint and wire things, it’s a little easier to wrap your head around a motorcycle than it is a vehicle,” Davidson said. “It’s a good segue in.”
That mindset — mentorship, patience and doing things properly the first time — has quietly shaped the growth of Raydar Collision Group, now one of Western Canada’s fastest-growing collision repair operations.
Since purchasing the original Raydar Auto Body location in Mission, B.C., in 2018, Davidson has helped grow the organization into a 14-location MSO. But despite the pace of expansion, the same theme comes up repeatedly when colleagues talk about Davidson: people come first.
CARSTAR Mission (Raydar Autobody), located in the heart of Mission, BC, has been providing collision repair services and exceptional customer care to our community for over 40 years.CARSTAR
“To watch him walk through the stores and say hi to everybody who he knows by name, it’s tough when you get to that kind of scale,” said Andrew Northrup, CARSTAR zone director. “The fact that he values those relationships is pretty incredible.”
Born and raised in Abbotsford, B.C., Davidson entered the trade in the mid-1990s after realizing he was drawn to the hands-on side of automotive repair.
“I really liked the bodywork component part of it,” he said. “I like to feel the cars. I like to make things straight.”
After working as a technician and later managing a Volkswagen body shop in Abbotsford, Davidson transitioned to the paint distribution side of the industry with WD Co-Auto., where he served as vice-president of sales.
The experience exposed him to collision facilities across Western Canada and reshaped the way he thought about leadership, process and shop culture.
“It showed me what worked and what didn’t,” Davidson said. “Good operators continually evolve.”
By 2018, however, constant travel and young children at home pushed Davidson toward a change. He and his wife purchased Raydar Auto Body, initially planning to run a single local shop.
The state-of-the-art 23,000-square-foot Preston Collision CARSTAR Langley facility located in Langley, BC was launched and opened in April 2025 by the Raydar Collision Group.Volkan Caglar and CARSTAR
“My initial plan was just to have one store close to my house and enjoy life and be home with my family,” he said.
Instead, growth came quickly as longtime shop owners began preparing for retirement and looking for successors they trusted.
“They’ve built fantastic businesses over 20, 30, 40 years,” Davidson said. “It’s important to them to sell to someone that is going to care about their people.”
“We made a decision early on to make it a people-first company,” Davidson said. “Sales and customer service naturally happen if you treat your people properly.”
Michael Piper of AkzoNobel first met Davidson around 2014 or 2015, during his time with WD Co-Auto.
“He’s just dynamic,” Piper said. “From an automotive aftermarket perspective, I would call him an expert. The guy has his finger on everything and he just knows the business. He was a trusted resource for me.”
Piper says the relationship between AkzoNobel and Raydar Collision Group is grounded in trust and a shared understanding of how both businesses operate.
“It’s his loyalty,” Piper said. “We have a mutual respect for each other’s business.”
He says Davidson leads with autonomy, balanced by accountability.
“He empowers his management team. He believes in autonomy. He’s very trusting,” Piper said.
Mort Hall of Color Compass says that approach has been key to maintaining culture through growth.
“He’s an extremely nice man and I think that extends out to his employees,” Hall said.
That focus on people, Davidson says, will only become more important as vehicle complexity increases and training demands grow.
“In order to secure our future, we have to train people,” he said.
Despite Raydar Collision Group’s expansion, Davidson still describes himself in simple terms.
“I’m a car guy,” Davidson said. “So it doesn’t feel like work to me.”
Owner Bill Davidson with Brad Green, director of operations and performance management at Raydar Collision Group, where people and performance remain at the heart of the company’s growth.Volkan Caglar and CARSTAR
Raydar Collision Group’s Bill Davidson brings his passion for hands-on craftsmanship, mentorship and family to everything he does.Volkan Caglar and CARSTAR
Volkan Caglar and CARSTAR
