Ken Shaw Collision Centre has operated for 55 years as a family-owned business specializing in certified collision repair for Lexus, Toyota, and other OEM brands, built on a foundation of manufacturer procedures, proper technician training, and commitment to returning vehicles to pre-accident condition.
- Founded in 1968 as a Toyota dealer, entered collision repair in 1971, and became one of the first 22 Lexus-certified dealers in 1989
- Operates a 100,000 square-foot facility on nearly 10 acres with Lexus, Toyota, and 10 other OEM certifications
- Employs highly experienced technicians, including painter Vince Figliomeni who has refinished an estimated 38,480 vehicles over 37 years
- Handles approximately 25% of repairs for non-Lexus and non-Toyota brands, requiring expertise across multiple manufacturers and advanced driver assistance systems
- Prioritizes continuous training in electric vehicle inspections, damage analysis, and high-voltage safety to maintain current industry standards
Ken Shaw Lexus Collision Centre has spent more than half a century building its operation. The family-owned dealer began selling Toyotas in 1968, entered collision repair in 1971 and was one of the first 22 dealers selected from 240 applicants for a Lexus franchise in 1989.
Its current St. Clair Avenue West complex opened in 1990 with about 6,225 square metres [67,000 sq. ft.] of space. The business began expanding its production area, offices and customer lounge in 2015, then added another 929 square metres [10,000 sq. ft.] to its metal and parts-management areas in 2019. The total work space is now 9,290 square metres [100,000 sq. ft.] located on almost 10 acres.
The result is a bodyshop built around a straightforward repair philosophy: follow the manufacturer’s procedures, equip technicians properly and return the vehicle to its pre-accident condition.
The Lexus-certified team has access to factory repair manuals, bulletins, specifications and measurements. Technicians receive training in electric vehicle inspections, damage analysis, handling and high-voltage safety. The operation also holds Toyota, 10 other OEM certifications and is recommended by CAA.
“It is our priority to stay current on the training and certification required by Lexus and Toyota Canada,” general manager Danny Jamal said in an earlier interview. “We want every customer who comes through the door to leave satisfied with our work.”
The collision centre is not limited to the brands displayed above the dealership.
“We’re approved and certified by other OEMs, so our bodyshop operates almost like an independent,” Jamal said. “We don’t just repair Lexus and Toyota vehicles. About 25% of our business is other brands.”
That range demands more from the facility and its technicians. Repairers must work with different materials, joining methods, electronic systems and advanced driver assistance technologies. The correct procedure can change by manufacturer, model and model year.
For Jamal, certifications are only part of the equation. The people performing the work matter just as much.
“Having the certifications is great,” he said. “But if you come in with the right attitude, show an interest in learning and seem committed, I’m willing to put the work in.”
A well-run shop cannot wait for a perfect résumé to appear. Jamal said operators must advertise more widely, interview more candidates and take the time to show applicants what the business can offer.
“You have to run more ads in more places, interview more people and give more tours when applicants come in,” he said.
The interview has also become a two-way sales pitch. Applicants are judging the equipment, training opportunities, working conditions and people already inside the shop.
“Our job is to convince them that they have found a good place to work,” Jamal said. “We have to be welcoming and accommodating, and show them the facility.”
Ken Shaw can point to unusually deep experience on its own floor. Collision centre manager John Bennett has spent 26 years with the business. Office manager Lisa Shaw has served for 19 years, her brother, Kenny Shaw, has served as fixed operation manager for over 24 years, while general manager Jamal has been there for 17.
The clearest example may be painter Vince Figliomeni. When Collision Repair profiled him in 2020, he had spent 37 years at Ken Shaw and refinished an estimated 38,480 vehicles. He arrived from Italy with limited English, joined the shop as a prepper in 1983 and moved into the paint booth about a year later.
“Spraying cars is the easy part,” Figliomeni said at the time. “You need to understand the preparation, know some bodywork and put a lot of work into tinting colours. You always have to double- and triple-check that the colour is right.”
Figliomeni said the shop kept him supplied with the equipment and training he needed. Jamal described his work as virtually flawless and said younger employees treated the veteran painter as a source of advice.
“They call him Papa Vince,” Jamal said. “He has been around longer than all of us, he’s smarter than all of us and he has more wisdom than all of us.”
That history illustrates Jamal’s larger point. Recruitment begins long before an advertisement is posted. A clean facility, current equipment, proper training and respectful management help attract people, but those same qualities also give experienced employees reasons to stay.
The pressure does not end when the technician is hired. About 80% of Ken Shaw’s collision work comes through insurers, and the documentation required for those repairs has grown substantially.
“Sometimes you’re uploading as many as 100 pictures for one claim,” Jamal said. “The administrative workload keeps getting heavier. We never dealt with it at this level in the past.”
Employees must photograph repairs, research procedures, prepare estimates, order parts, obtain approvals and keep customers, insurers and rental companies informed. Each task is necessary, but each can also pull time away from production.
Ken Shaw’s response is not a fashionable management system or a single recruiting campaign. It is the same disciplined approach the business applies to repairs: invest in the facility, follow current procedures, train people properly and pay attention to the details.
“There’s no single new answer,” Jamal said. “You have to stay current with training and maintain a clean facility.”
