Davis Body Shop has enjoyed serving San Luis Obispo County residents for over forty years. Our mission has always been to make Davis the most trusted auto body collision specialists on the Central Coast. Through years of hard work and dedication, we've been privileged to grow our business slowly, focusing on providing our Customers with a better combination of price, product and service than our competitors. Now, with a "few" years under our belt, we'd like share our small bit of history with you.
Operations were established in 1962, when Dave and JoAnn Davis opened Davis Body Shop in Atascadero at its original location on Traffic Way with just one additional employee.
In 1964 the business moved to its present location at 7420 El Camino Real. At this time, Davis manufactured campers and sold them in the front while doing auto bodywork in the back. As demand for auto bodywork increased and business flourished, the decision was made in 1970 to focus on bodywork exclusively. However, additional shop space was needed, so Dave purchased a bus-barn structure that San Luis Obispo High School was parting with and trucked it over Cuesta Grade to incorporate it into the business.
Dave and JoAnn's teenaged son, Brad Davis, joined the business in 1974 working part-time after high school. In 1980 he became part of the management team and also set up the first computer management system used in a body shop on the Central Coast.
In 1983 Davis Auto Body brought the first I-CAR (Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair) courses to the county. I-CAR offers industry recognized state-of-the-art training programs to technicians through a hands-on approach. These courses were offered at the shop after-hours with Dave Davis instructing until 1992. More than a decade of successful training sessions led them to become the first body shop to receive the coveted I-CAR Gold Class certification in 1993.
In 1989, as the business continued to enjoy increased growth, heavy work volume required a second shop to open to accomodate the rapid growth of the greater Paso Robles area. A site was found in Paso Robles at the Pete Johnston automotive complex, a lease was secured and the shop continues to thrive under the ownership of Davis Body Shop.
Today, Davis Body Shop remains the largest Auto Body Collision Specialists in the area and currently staffs 30 employees. Thanks to over 40 years of local patronage by loyal Customers at both locations, Davis has been rated in the top 1% in the nation for sales and volume. We continue to modernize, and Customers can anticipate a "new look" by Fall 2002 when the Atascadero store-front and offices get a full remodel.
Regardless of how time continues to change and consolidate the body shop industry, Davis Body Shop will always pride itself on being a family-run business. We will continue to offer SLO county the highest caliber service with unrivaled attention to detail that our Customers have come to trust. Our pledge will always be to offer you the best combination of price, product, and service available anywhere. That's a piece of history you can count on that will never change!
First in SLO county to:
• incorporate computer management systems
• utilize European downdraft painting systems
• have multiple locations
• offer I-CAR programs and become I-CAR Gold Class certified
