Greg Solesbee ended his affiliation with the CARSTAR franchise system, reopening his Hayden, ID, body shop as Solesbee Collision on March 1.
Solesbee had been a franchisee since 2018, when he moved to Idaho with his family from Southern California and opened the collision center. His father and brothers have been in the industry back in California as well.
“We’re grateful for [CARSTAR owner] Driven Brands and where we got to today,” Solesbee told Autobody News, “starting a business in a small town.”
In the Gem State, he’s been a regular fan favorite, consistently winning regional and statewide contests based on customers voting. More to the choice of departing the fold, he’s developed a strong OE-focus with repairs, which in practice can conflict with the general DRP dominance of many scaled-up MSOs.
“We’re a local, community-driven shop,” Solesbee said, and “it’s a very small community.” CARSTAR has about 750 locations in the U.S. and Canada, but none in Idaho, according to its website.
“We started going very specialized,” he added. “Most large MSOs are insurance-focused. We recognized what we were going after and our visions didn’t fit, and they agreed.”
Driven Brands didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Changing Nearly Everything
Greg and Rachelle Solesbee at the 2023 SEMA Show.
“This was a hard one,” Solesbee said, “a large undertaking.”
He said “everything you touch” changes, from signage to accounting.
The shop re-negotiated “every vendor relationship, purchasing … sometimes going in a different direction” -- that is, changing companies. “Our clip system was facilitated through a large network” by the franchisor.
“Your website, all your social media. You’re literally starting over, from the function,” Solesbee said.
Some changes have been underway for some time, which drove the decision to leave. Solesbee figured he’s put about $300,000 over the last two years into equipment and training for EV repairs, in becoming “the only Tesla and Rivian location in the area.”
All-in, the shop has a dozen certifications, including Ford, Stellantis, Subaru, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai and others.
“We’re doing Toyota’s onboarding right now,” he said and “chasing EV certification” for conventional makers.
Two relatively smooth transitions involved people: employees and customers.
Technical Skill, Personal Relationships
Solesbee said his staff saw little upheaval and the community has been a rock.
“We’re very personal,” he said. “We’ve had questions before of why aren’t we doing our own thing, so people are excited to see us go out on our own. It’s North Idaho -- people really back each other here.”
The ongoing transition mainly involves burnishing the OE-emphasis and looking ahead. Solesbee Collision has 12 employees in 9,000 square feet and pulls about $3.5 million a year in revenue. He’s beginning to look at the expansion that’s coming: renovation or new building, a second location?
All DRPs are done.
“We work for the customer,” he said.
Solesbee said he didn’t raise rates striking out on his own, “but the more certified, the more expensive. We’re now getting what it costs, and charging our actual rates.”
Solesbee’s growing more deeply involved in the insurance-customer service-safe repair issue and discussions in the industry. He marks a clear divide between “large, insurance-focused MSOs, and independent shops, or smaller, OE-certified groups.
“Biggest swing I see right now is independent body shops learning the insurance universe, including legal,” he said.
Solesbee Collision works with Boise lawyer Kristian Beckett on short-pays, referring customers to him too.
Franchising Cost-Benefits
Inside Solesbee Collision.
So Solesbee’s sailing solo, but in some ways is never alone.
His family has always been involved in the business, from making the move some seven years ago to working in the shop. Two elder sons -- one in estimating, one who “likes the mechanical, electrical side of things” -- are there; two younger teens wash cars before and after.
He said he’ll miss some CARSTAR parts, including, again primarily, the people. CARSTAR in January ranked 366th on the 2025 Entrepreneur Franchise 500; last year it was 250th. The magazine said it costs $300,000 to $800,000 to open a location. It lists Idaho as a state where the system seeks owners.
CARSTAR’s Franchise Disclosure Document shows it charges 2.5% for royalties, insurance and marketing, with fees for CCC software, some training and shop growth, among other areas.
Solesbee Collision’s $3.5 million in revenue ranked above average and median -- $2.6 million and $3 million, respectively -- results for 394 CARSTAR locations clocked in the FDD. Each of the sites had eight to 12 DRPs. CARSTAR is one of several automotive service companies of Charlotte-based Driven Brands [Nasdaq: DRVN].
Solesbee declined to say how much the shop paid to CARSTAR to leave the system.
“Our focus is how can we do the best repair, and we think that’s on our own,” he said.
Paul Hughes