HAMILTON, ON – August 22, 2007 – Over 350 people congregated in Niagara Falls, Ontario for the 10th annual CARSTAR Industry Conference. The conference took place from August 15-17 and attracted CARSTAR franchisees and their families, corporate employees, insurance and vendor partners.

The conference, held every year in a different city within Canada, brings together the automotive industry’s finest to share information and ideas. The theme for this year’s conference was “Strength and Endurance” which was representative of CARSTAR’s journey over the last thirteen years.

“Our conference provides a great opportunity to recognize the members of the CARSTAR family,” said Sam Mercanti, President and CEO of CARSTAR Automotive Canada. “We’re proud of the strong and enduring team of franchisees and business partners who have helped CARSTAR become one of the most successful brands in the collision repair industry.”

The opening ceremonies took place at Oakes Garden overlooking the Canadian and American Falls. Welcoming delegates was the host for the evening, John Moore, a versatile and humorous broadcaster who currently has a show on CFRB-AM in Toronto. Both Sam Mercanti and Dick Cross, CEO of CARSTAR U.S., spoke of unique opportunities, the ever changing North American market and how CARSTAR will grow and prosper within it.

Brian Michaels, illusionist and event entertainer, also spoke at the opening ceremonies. He shared his story on living with cystic fibrosis and the life-saving double lung transplant he received in 2006.

“Brian’s life-long struggle with cystic fibrosis is an inspiration to all of us,” said Mercanti. “CARSTAR is a proud supporter of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and we recognize the importance of funding research into finding a cure for the disease.”

Following the opening ceremonies, attendees made their way back to the hotel for the annual OSCAR Awards Ceremony. The ceremony acknowledges the franchise owners who demonstrate distinguished service and outstanding leadership. The President’s Club recipients were Weese CARSTAR Collision in Trenton, Ontario; Glacier CARSTAR Collision in Edmonton; Lawrence CARSTAR Collision in London; and Summit CARSTAR Collision in Scarborough and North York. The CARSTAR Pride award was presented to Bob Edwards, from CARSTAR in Thunder Bay. Many other franchisees received awards from both the CARSTAR Corporation and various Insurance Companies.

Conference delegates participated in sessions on marketing, succession planning, the global marketplace, industry and insurance trends, and lean business principles. Through these sessions, delegates learned how to improve their own businesses and the CARSTAR brand as a whole.

Special guests included: Bill Johnson, former Chairman and CEO of McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada; David Lingham, IBIS (International Bodyshop Industry Symposium) Moderator since 2003; George Cooke, President & CEO of The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company; Glenn Gibson, CEO, The Americas, Crawford and Company; Mauro Convertini, VP of Procurement for Aviva Canada; Troy Treleaven of Dale Carnegie; Richard Kunst of Art of Solutions and Jay Perry of Automotive Business Consultants Inc. Participants of the Insurance Panel session included Vic Pasnyk, Allstate; Paul Hicks, Aviva Canada; Brian Duffy, TD Meloche Monnex Inc; Ken Boulton, The Dominion; and Keith Hudd, The Economical.

The conference also included a Business Partners Expo that gave franchisees an opportunity to meet some of the industry’s top companies, including insurance and vendor partners. More than 30 conference sponsors and partners were present including the platinum partners: BASF & Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

The support we received from our sponsors and partners is astonishing,” said Mercanti. “They help us create a great conference. CARSTAR is truly grateful for their involvement in this year’s conference and for their continued support as business partners.”

“The tenth annual CARSTAR conference was a success,” said Mercanti. “ We are pleased that so many franchisees and partners took part this year. The knowledge shared at the conference will help us work towards our vision of being the leader in the Canadian collision repair business. ”

About CARSTAR Automotive Canada
With over 300 locations across North America, CARSTAR is the leader in the automotive collision repair industry. Founded in Hamilton, Ontario, CARSTAR Automotive Canada has grown from eight to over 115 locations in 10 provinces. CARSTAR repairs over 6,500 vehicles per month – with high rates of customer satisfaction. For more information, please visit CARSTAR at www.carstar.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Lisa Mercanti-Ladd
Director of Marketing
CARSTAR Automotive Canada
1.800.701.9452 ext.234
lmercanti-ladd@carstar.ca

Nichola Rochon / Lauren McConnell
PraxisPR
905-949-8255 ext. 225 / 227
nichola@praxispr.ca / lauren@praxispr.ca