the starnes story
The STARNES COLLISION CENTER, formerly known as KC Starnes Auto Body Shop - has had many transformations.
Unlike many family businesses, Dennis and Casey Starnes have managed to keep the core traditions taught to them by their father, KEITH CLYDE STARNES.
keith STARNES - founder
Keith Clyde Starnes was described as “The North Star”.
He shone brightly, was constant and without knowing it, positioned himself perfectly and precisely for his son’s Dennis and Casey to carry on a family tradition centered in love and friendship…
Keith was a family man. Living in a time when a work day meant long hours and sometimes having his wife, Rosella, call and ask “Are you coming home soon?”
No one knows if Keith started out with the intention of having a full time auto body repair shop, but Dennis, Keith’s oldest son, remembers watching his dad sitting on a stool, sanding and “tinkering” with cars all his life.
the shop
Keith loved drawing. His precise detail is evident in early sketches of his dream building, reflecting the strategic design of the shop. His architectural vision and details are captured in the original drawings.
DENNIS STARNES - accounting
While Dennis was attending an Accounting program at Central Piedmont Community College, his dad asked him to come and be his accountant because he was taking what is now loving called “The Shop” full time.
Dennis describes his dad as “quiet, kind of laid back, but if he needed to get his point across, he knew how. He was never rude, but when he spoke, you knew where he stood.”
Soon, Dennis will celebrate 50 years of his commitment to his dad that day. He was taught by his father to shake a customer’s hand when they entered the building and to always greet them with a friendly “hello”. He also learned honesty, kindness and truth.
casey STARNES - president
The youngest of the four Starnes sons, Casey, remembers always coming to the shop after school and in the summers working alongside his dad.
As he grew, Casey was given tasks like washing cars and easy repair jobs - always under the tutelage of his father. Over time (and with age), Casey, like his dad, had to be hands on with any and all repair jobs.
the future
With Casey as the lead visionary and Dennis by his side, “The Shop” has transcended into the 21st century weaving threads of the past, present and a future that will shine as bright as The North Star.
Casey has built on his father’s steady, methodically run “Shop” and legacy of “a safe and proper repair” and “excellent customer service”, to transform a simple repair shop to the competitive collision center that it is today.
the team
The success of the shop is also rooted in the dedication and spirit of the STARNES TEAM. From Experienced Technicians to Customer Service to the Paint Team and EVERYTHING in between…
Each member reflects our STARNES values and really cares about providing the best of themselves EVERYDAY to ensure our customers receive the best experience - THE STARNES EXPERIENCE.
gallery of memories
