Puget Collision Acquires New Portland Locations

Dec. 27, 2024
The shop will be Puget's 54th location.

Puget Collision closed on its acquisition of Bob Thomas Auto Body, Inc., a high-performance and Tesla-certified collision repair shop in northeast Portland, according to a press release by Focus Advisors.

Bob Thomas Auto Body has been in business for 41 years and is known as a high-performance operator in the Portland area. Owner Jeff Smith, a 30+ year industry veteran, joined Bob Thomas Auto Body in 2004 and then worked his way towards ownership. A little over five years ago, he anticipated that Tesla was going to take off in the Portland area and became Tesla certified in 2019. This valuable certification bolstered the business during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeff, his wife Karen, and their Production Manager used the COVID-19 shutdowns as an opportunity to revolutionize their operations and improve their facilities, allowing them to emerge stronger.

Jeff and Karen were ready to retire and chose a partner with Puget Collision. They were represented in the transaction by Focus Advisors. Jeff commented on the transaction, “Deciding whether to sell the business and to whom was a really challenging process. I have spent decades building out this team and our capabilities, and we chose Puget for their strong reputation as a service provider and employer.” He continued, “I’m glad I chose Focus Advisors to represent me. They were essential in helping me understand the full value of my business and they negotiated for the terms that were important to me. I felt supported and informed as we worked our way towards closing.”

Focus Advisors Senior Associate Madeleine Roberts Rich said, “Jeff and Karen are high-performance operators as well as great people. It was very rewarding to see the market interest in Bob Thomas Autobody, Inc. and then to help Jeff and Karen have a great exit that encompasses what they’ve built.” Partner Chris Lane continued, “We are really pleased about this outcome for the Smiths. They’ve built a valuable and high-growth business in an attractive location in Portland.”

In acquiring Bob Thomas Autobody, Puget Collision has now expanded to 54 locations across Oregon (12 locations), Washington (25), California (10), and Colorado (7). Bob Thomas Autobody, Inc. is Puget’s fourth location in the Portland area and its first Tesla-certified shop there. Portland is one of the U.S.’s top cities for electric vehicle adoption. Puget Collision was founded in 2022 by Joe Morella and it acquires CARSTAR and Fix Auto franchises on the West Coast. Bob Thomas Auto Body, Inc. is a CARSTAR franchisee.

Focus Advisors is a mergers and acquisitions advisory firm specializing in the collision industry. The firm partners with independent MSOs with annual revenues between $10-100 million, assisting owners with strategic growth and exits. Unlike traditional business brokers or large investment banks, Focus Advisors focuses exclusively on collision repair, providing specialized insights into value, interest, and opportunity timing. Managing Director David Roberts, with over 25 years in the industry, has led more than 40 transactions totaling over $500 million in transaction value and involving more than 325 collision repair shops, including Tripp’s Collision, Pride Auto Body, Painter’s Collision, Mills Body Shops, and Master Collision.

About the Author

FenderBender Staff Reporters

The FenderBender staff reporters have nearly three decades of combined journalism and collision repair experience.

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