Two and one half years after Hurricane Katrina tried to wipe New Orleans off the face of the planet – the valiant efforts of the brave and determined are rebuilding this beautiful and historic landmark city – so unique in all the world.

Most of the local collision industry reflects the Gulf Coast’s slow recovery. However, some determined shop owners are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Denny Schenck, owner of Car Craft in Chalmette, Louisiana, is on the right track.

Autobody News visited Car Craft in December 2005 – December 29 to be exact, five months to the day since hurricane Katrina. I had been in the region since October, working on a catastrophe team – a daily mind-numbing experience observing the devastation and its consequences.

In the Saint Bernard Parish of New Orleans – one of the hardest hit neighborhoods, I found Car Craft. The doors were open at Car Craft and the floor was clean – a good sign. There still were not many open doors on the entire Gulf Coast.

Schenck spent the afternoon showing me the neighborhood and his own facilities. Schenck and wife, Cindy, have been in business in Chalmette for all 38 years of their married life. Car Craft had a booming collision repair shop, separate mechanical shop truck shop and a towing company with over 50 employees on August 28, 2005. By December 29, 2005, Car Craft had seven employees – all living in FEMA trailers behind the body shop.

Fast forward to the present
Today Car Craft is fully operational in Chalmette – both collision and mechanical shops. The truck shop has not been reopened. While Schenck was struggling to provide normalcy for his customers and employees in Chalmette, he had his eye on building a shop in Covington, Louisiana. Keeping his eye on the future – and learning from the past – have brought about the future of Car Craft. The brand new ground up Car Craft facility will open its doors in April and the original Car Craft in Chalmette is going to stay open.

“Business is better in Chalmette,” said Car Craft Office Manager Cheri Newbury. “Car Craft’s reputation is doing its share to push growth forward. Customers are coming to Car Craft from outside the area, where as before the Hurricane customers came from nearby neighborhoods. Newbury reiterates that growth in the region is slow. “Some nicer neighborhoods are beautiful – like nothing has happened, but once you venture outside these neighborhoods, it is not so good.”

Twenty-two employees keep the body shop, mechanical shop and tow trucks operating at Chalmette Car Craft. Schenck and crew repaired all the equipment after the Hurricane and almost everything has held up keeping this production shop full.

“We are still using the compressor that was ripped away from the shop and turned upside down,” laughed Schenck, “The only thing we have had to replace is the motor for our Euro Vac System.” Even the brand new Pro Spot Welder survived Katrina. This well-equipped shop is moving about 200 cars through the mechanical and body shop every month.