Success for City Collision Repairs

Justin Narayan (left), Chris Greaney and Ricky Baldwin, of City Collision Repairs, Napier, which has won the National Best Business Award. Photo / Paul Taylor

Since setting up their new panel and paint site "across the road" in Napier's Onekawa industrial area five years ago, City Collision Repairs owner and manager Chris Greaney had always sought to make it the best in town.

But for the judges at this year's national Collision Repair Association annual awards earlier this month it was a little better than that. The company, one of 450 across New Zealand, picked up the premier prize - the 2015 Overall Best Business Award. "Yeah, we're very happy with that - it is the big one," Mr Greaney said.

He said it came at the perfect time as the company is in its 99th year and gearing up to celebrate the "ton" next year.

It was begun in Napier by Andy Dykes in 1916 who was a coach builder.

"Wagons and Model T Fords - that sort of thing," was how Mr Greaney described it.

Mr Dykes eventually sold it to his son, also called Andy, who later sold it to Mr Greaney's father Roger.

Chris Greaney picked up the reins six years ago, having started working for his father nine years before that. He said from the outset it was all about presentation. "That is the key factor - making it clean and open and tidy."

When the business shifted house across Leyland St five years ago Roger Greaney said he wanted to give his son, who had taken it on, "the best possible start".

It was carefully designed to be both practical in the working sense, environmentally friendly and presentable to customers.

"Out front as well as out the back."

Mr Greaney said since the shift and revamp the business had picked up awards for Best Upgrade, in 2011, and Best Presented Business in 2013.

He had got used to greeting other panel and paint business owners from out of town who were looking to open new premises and wanted to see what they had done.

The latest win had come with a cost, but it was one he was happy to pay.

He is going to shout his 10 staff out for dinner which will also double as a celebration of his father's 46 years with the firm.