Marcos Mejia is only 24 years old, but he can already call himself an owner in the collision repair industry, as his shop recently became CARSTAR Team JC Auto Rebuilders in Rockford, IL.
His shop was already a full-service operation, offering complete auto body repair, aluminum repair, glass replacement, PDR, ADAS calibration, SRS services and calibrations, mechanical repairs as needed for the collision repair, and much more. But he wanted to continue growing his operation, so he signed the paperwork to join CARSTAR in early 2024.
“I wanted to be part of a major collision industry known all over the country and in other countries,” said Mejia. “Being in the industry, I realized that there wouldn't be anything better than joining the program, and being part of the CARSTAR family!”
The facility, situated at 3238 W. State St., boasts a sprawling 20,000 square feet, with 17,000 dedicated to production. The location also features 25,000 square feet of secured parking and additional customer and delivery accommodations.
Mejia's passion for collision repair was ignited at the age of 8. When he was 12, with the encouragement of his father, he took his first step into the industry by helping his uncle, who had a mobile repair business, fix a suspension.
That led him to try his own mobile business when he was 17, but he decided it wasn't for him. He opened a shop in Chicago with a partner in 2020, which later became CARSTAR UCar Auto Rebuilders the following year.
In 2022, he opened his first independently-owned shop, and, since he was already familiar with the process, decided to align it with CARSTAR as well.
"It was really hard to get there," Mejia said of his journey to owning his shop at age 24. But since joining CARSTAR, "it's going pretty smooth."
Mejia is committed to building his team and providing the training they need to deliver advanced repairs. He currently has four auto body technicians and two refinish technicians, two estimators and a detailer. He plans to keep on adding people to the team as the business grows. They are an I-CAR Gold Class certified shop and are also A/C servicing certified 1234-YF or regular 134-Freon.
“Marcos Mejia has already shown exceptional promise, and I eagerly anticipate witnessing his journey as he expands his impact within CARSTAR, achieving new milestones along the way,” said Damien Reyna, COO, U.S. collision, Driven Brands.
