PORTLAND, OR December 20, 2024 – Puget Collision closed on its acquisition of Bob Thomas Auto Body, Inc., a high-performance and Tesla-certified collision repair shop in northeast Portland.
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 so he 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 further 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 US’s top cities for electric vehicle adoption. Puget Collision was founded in 2022 by Joe Morella and it acquires CARSTAR and Fix Auto franchises in the west coast. Bob Thomas Auto Body, Inc. is a CARSTAR franchisee.
About Focus Advisors:
Focus Advisors (www.focusadvisors.com) is the collision industry’s leading M&A advisory firm, partnering with independent MSOs between $10-100M in annual revenue, helping owners achieve maximum value through strategic growth and exits. Unlike traditional business brokers or large investment banks, Focus Advisors specializes exclusively in collision repair — giving owners unparalleled insight into value, interest, and opportunity timing. With over 25 years in the industry, Managing Director David Roberts has led more than 40 transactions totaling over $500 million in transaction value and more than 325 collision repair shops, including Tripp’s Collision, Pride Auto Body, Painter’s Collision, Mills Body Shops, and Master Collision.
Investment Banking Services and Securities offered through Independent Investment Bankers Corp. a broker-dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Focus Advisors is not affiliated with Independent Investment Bankers Corp.
