BY: ALYSSA MAHADEO
Nobody ever expects to be in an auto collision, but sometimes life happens. In recent years dealing with auto repairs can seem like a nightmare, reporting insurance claims, coping without a vehicle, and worst of all seeing your vehicle all scratched up and dreading how long it will take to fix it.
The peace of mind gained from leaving your car in the hands of a capable mechanic is euphoric. Getting your vehicle back good as new is like traveling back through time before anything had ever happened, seemingly like magic.
From ever since he can remember Chris Beattie has always had a passion for vehicles, being around them, working on them and helping to repair them. Born and raised here in Canada, now a 5th generation Canadian, Chris is no stranger to the community with friends and people he considers family hailing from the Caribbean community. When his Jamaican neighbor’s house burned down, his parents extended that wholesome Canadian hospitality to welcoming them into their home helping them out when they needed a hand, while their house was being rebuilt and from a young age Chris was introduced to food, culture and Caribbean influences which he still submerges himself in today.
Several years ago, he and his business partner Marco Garrido teamed up, combining their skills together to start an auto body repair company called Auto Magicians.
“Both Marco and I have always had a love and passion for vehicles, and when we started working together we got involved with Paintless Dent Repair (PDR),” Beattie says. “We are able to take dents out of cars by using special tools to help massage the metal back out.”
This innovative type of repair job is unique in the industry, removing dents without hindering the vehicle’s paint job.
“With PDR you’re saving people a lot of time and money, and it’s environmentally friendly,” Beattie explains. “Most body shops see a small dent on your door, and they are going to want to repaint the whole panel. Your car would potentially be out of commission for four days where we can do something for you in a couple hours and make it brand new.”
Chris’s passion for the automotive industry, however, extends not only to his knowledge of cars but also helping out the people who drive them. He takes pride in the work they are able to do for their customers, dedicated to informing them about their options and standing behind them if they need assistance settling a claim.
“We’ve been doing this since 2010, and I’ve never seen myself anywhere else,” Beattie shares. “I’m an entrepreneur with a background in marketing and sales and when we began seeing more and more damage to the vehicles being brought in we ventured into the auto body side of things because our clientele preferred to deal directly with us.”
Working closely with his clients and giving them a 100% satisfaction guarantee on the jobs they do is something that Chris takes pride in. He is more than aware of the stigmas sometimes associated with auto body shops and the skepticism of customers leaving their vehicles in their hands.
“We are considered Auto Appearance Specialists and we are different from other shops,” Beattie explains. “For the past five years we’ve been voted Top Auto Body Repair Shop by Top Choice Awards, 2017 Mississauga News Readers Choice Winner for Best Automotive Body Shop & Detailing, Consumers Choice Award Winner of 2018, and voted One of Three Best Rated Auto Body Shops in Mississauga.”
They are the first body shop to ever receive the Top Choice award for quality and excellence, and it speaks to the high standards they hold themselves accountable to.
“We are highly consumer motivated and our customers are #1,” Beattie says, “We abide by the golden rule ‘treat others as you want to be treated’ and promise a lifetime warranty on our jobs.”
As with any small business Chris shares that there is a lot of time traveling being away from family, but most importantly building a strong reputation for your business takes time maintaining something that could be destroyed very quickly. Many business owners work in their business, instead of working on their business and Chris explains that’s the difference between owning a business and entrepreneurship, you are able to work on your business and in your business struggling to do both and maintain that balance.
“Next to your house, your next biggest investment is your vehicle and you want to make sure if you’re trusting that with someone that it’s going to be looked after for you,” Beattie says. “We’ve won awards not because we’re proud, but because we are humble and we appreciate our clients.”
Behind Chris stands a strong team of Auto Magicians that includes his business partners, Marco Garrido and James Batista as well as the woman that keeps them organized, Nevada Martin.
“I find working in this industry to be very fulfilling, I’m always meeting new people and helping them out,” Beattie says, “We arrange rentals for our customers, or act as mediators between two parties if they are in an accident and sometimes help them settle without going through insurance if need be.”
The Auto Magicians literally work their magic to get the job done, they pride themselves on offering services that other shops don’t, offering free estimates, no appointment necessary just by emailing them a photo of your damaged vehicle.
“Everyone that works for us is amazing at what they do,” Chris says. “When you visit the Auto Magicians know that you’ll be given sound advice, and you’ll be treated like family.
Whether is a dent, scratch or full on auto body repair the Auto Magicians have you covered. They work diligently to make all your car repairs and damages vanish into thin air! Visit them in Mississauga and let them give you the peace of mind you deserve and bring your vehicle back to working order in the quickest easiest way possible!
