With an avid interest in cars, Shannon Christian started in the automotive industry in 1992, when he began working at a GM dealership in Brainerd, MN. Christian was finishing a two-year degree at the tech college and employed at another shop when the dealership recruited him. Four years later, he opened his own shop, Shannon’s Auto Body, five miles out of town in a 2,000-square-foot horse barn in his backyard. The shop specialized in restoration and collision repair.
Shannon’s Auto Body
Brainerd, MN
218-829-6764
shannonsautobody.com
Facebook: @shannonsautobody/info/
Instagram: @shannons_auto_body
Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 43
In Business Since: 1996
Number of Locations: Two
Combined Production Space: 57,000 square feet
As business grew, Christian realized the need for space and ultimately added a second and third garage on the same property. In addition to operating his original 17,000-square-foot facility, Christian opened a second location in July 2023, about five miles from the shop. The 40,000-square-foot facility has better visibility and a layout designed to better accommodate collision repairs.
Christian and his team pride themselves on providing outstanding customer care and quality repairs in the Brainerd Lakes area in Minnesota. The business services nearly every make and model.
“We utilize the latest repair technology and are committed to fixing vehicles safely and correctly to their pre-collision condition,” said Christian. “We want to put customers back on the road in a safe vehicle.”
Vehicles often come in that have been previously repaired incorrectly at other facilities. Christian and his team do post-collision inspections and fully blueprint the car to write a complete repair plan per OEM requirements and determine the calibrations required.
Christian said they are proud to be an I-CAR Gold Class shop and active members of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota (AASP-MN). As an AASP-MN board member, Christian is dedicated to improving the industry and educating other shops.
Educating employees is also a priority. “We are constantly training staff and updating our procedures to keep up with industry changes,” said Christian. Several of the Shannon’s Auto Body staff are I-CAR Platinum and ASE-certified technicians.
The education process includes bringing estimators and technicians to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV, to learn new repair methods and see the latest equipment and tooling.
About six years ago, Christian was looking for a paint booth to purchase while attending SEMA.
“I just fell in love with Spanesi’s full glass doors and touch panels,” he said. “It was like comparing a Ferrari to a Ford.”
Christian was drawn to Spanesi’s high-quality Italian products.
Abby Andrews