What if you had the opportunity to design a state-of-the-art collision repair shop from the ground up? That is the fortunate spot Trey McCann and Hanner Jeansonne found themselves in as they prepared to open Advanced Collision Repair in October 2007. What an unlikely scenario: to be opening a brand new shop at a time when others are closing or scaling down their auto body businesses. 

Hanner Jeansonne

    Hanner explained how things got started: “There were a lot of shops in this area, but we wanted to stand out. With our great location right on a major highway, we came out of the box wide open and continue to stay very busy.
    “I never thought about owning a shop of my own. I enjoyed working for a big shop until Trey approached me. We decided to build a shop that would leave people wide-eyed. And we had one chance to do it correctly right out of the gate.”
    Said Hanner, “Trey—the body guy— is [I-CAR] Platinum certified. I knew his values as a person and the kind of work he produced. He would make an excellent partner.”
    Returning the compliment, Trey explained that Hanner is a Master Painter and the go-to guy. They knew each other from earlier experience at Kyle’s Collision Center.
    Although there are a lot of small shops around, there were no shops in Pineville. Repair work was going across the river to Alexandria. Trey and Hanner had worked together in the past and stayed in contact as friends.

    Before opening the shop, the men surveyed the insurance companies doing business in Pineville to see if there was a need for a nice shop right in town. Would it be worth putting money into a shop to keep customers on the Pineville side of the river? The answer has been a resounding yes.
    “We believed there was room for a good shop. Backyard shops really hurt the industry,” said Hanner. “Bigger cities had attractive shops with all kinds of amenities, including Enterprise Rent-A-Car on site, which pleased insurers, particularly GEICO.
    “Across the river, a patron is treated like a number. We offer personal attention to our customers and they appreciate it.”
    Being conveniently located on the interstate, Advanced Collision serves personnel from several military bases in the area. Military personnel are encouraged to bring their personal cars to Advanced Collision for repair. This makes the lifetime warranty on paint a great selling point, since most soldiers are only in the area temporarily. It is reassuring to know you can depend on your warranty wherever you are transferred.