Wayne Kelly’s Journey From Technician to VP of Operations at Abra
As the Abra family of collision repair facilities celebrates their 40th anniversary, Wayne Kelly has come full circle to return to the network where he began his career as a technician, according to a news release.
Kelly is now the VP of Operations for Abra, a member of the Driven Brands family.
He spent the last few years overseeing operations in the CARSTAR network, a sister brand to Abra.
“I was there for the very beginning, and to see where Abra is today is incredible,” said Kelly. “It is truly a family of local owners, and I’ve had relationships with them for four decades. Now, we see their sons and daughters leading the family businesses and continuing the generations of trusted collision repair.”
When Kelly started out as a technician at a young age in Minnesota, Abra was a fledgling brand. As it grew and began franchising in 1987, Kelly grew with them, running locations, managing operations, and recruiting new franchise owners.
“What made Abra successful then, and still today, has been the focus on smart processes and high quality,” noted Kelly. “Abra has a 96 percent referral rate from customers because the Abra owners and managers treat customers well, deliver quality repairs, and back up their work with not just a warranty, but also with their word.”
When Abra was acquired by Driven Brands in 2019, Kelly continued to provide his experience and leadership through the transition and then shifted to support other collision repair brands in the Driven Brands portfolio, primarily CARSTAR.
