Hamilton, ON – Monday, December 4th, 2006 – CARSTAR Automotive Canada and franchisee Doug Russell celebrated the official grand opening of a new state-of-the art facility in St. John’s, Newfoundland this week. The location was constructed to house the quickly growing St. John’s CARSTAR Collision franchise and to meet an increasing demand for service in the St. John’s area and beyond.

Franchisee Doug Russell, who operated an independent collision repair business in St. John’s for 25 years before joining the CARSTAR network in 2005, also operates a local GM dealership. He invested $1.6 million in the new 8,500 square foot facility.

“Steady growth over the past two years made the move to a bigger facility a necessity,” said Russell. “With the support of the CARSTAR network and the value-add the brand brings to consumers, our customer base has grown at a fast pace. This new facility will allow us to keep up with that demand and to continue to provide the high quality service we are known for. This new facility is equipped to handle $2 million in sales annually.”

CARSTAR Automotive Canada is continuing a pattern of aggressive growth across the country. The St. John’s location is one of 13 locations across Atlantic Canada including seven in Nova Scotia, three in New Brunswick, two in Prince Edward Island and one in Newfoundland.

“Doug is a great example of why CARSTAR has been so successful in Atlantic Canada,” said Dave Meery, Atlantic Region Market Development Manager, CARSTAR Automotive Canada. “By partnering with franchisees like Doug, who are enthusiastic and motivated and who share our vision for excellence and our high standards for quality and ethics, we continue to build a trusted and reliable network across the country. Doug is a strong supporter of CARSTAR and everything the brand stands for, and we are very pleased to see his business continue to grow.”

CARSTAR has built a reputation across Canada for superior quality and high levels of customer satisfaction. CARSTAR is the only auto collision centre to offer a Lifetime Nationwide Warranty – no matter where a customer is in Canada. CARSTAR Automotive Canada also offers consumers advantages such as comprehensive claims insurance, collision financing, rental car assistance, AIR MILES® Reward Miles and 1-800-CARSTAR - a 24-hour accident assistance and towing service.

In addition to offering quality service and customer satisfaction, CARSTAR is a contributing member to the communities in which it operates. CARSTAR locations across the country partner with the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) on campaigns such as the sale of FrightLites®, non-toxic glow sticks which make children more visible during Halloween, and the CARSTAR “Soaps It Up” for Cystic Fibrosis National Car Wash Day which raises money for the CCFF and other local fundraising groups. Through these campaigns and other fundraising initiatives CARSTAR has raised over $1 million for cystic fibrosis research and treatment since 1999.
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 100 locations in just 10 years. CARSTAR repairs approximately 1 in 20 vehicles in Canada – 6,000 vehicles per month – with high rates of customer satisfaction. For more information, please visit CARSTAR at www.carstar.ca.