History

Kirmac was founded in 1973 by Ian and Ken McIntosh. They always had the propensity to embrace new technology and pioneer new collision repair techniques.  While working at a major truck manufacturing facility in Burnaby, Ian realized that a repair shop’s operations should flow as efficiently as the assembly line environment he was working in.  At the time, collision repair shops were dingy, disorganized and only produced “good enough” quality to vehicle owners.

Two years later, Ian and Ken opened a 10,000 square foot shop in Coquitlam, BC, initially repairing large trucks.  They purchased the largest spray booth in Western Canada and implemented an assembly line mentality to repairing trucks.  Soon after, the McIntosh’s switched from trucks to cars and the rest is history!  They began repairing vehicles with the goal of turning the unfortunate experience of a vehicle collision into a positive, lasting impression.

Ian and Ken opened their second location in North Burnaby, BC in 1988. In the early 1990s the company grew significantly, opening in Richmond, Langley, Surrey, New Westminster, Vancouver, Maple Ridge, Walnut Grove, and Burnaby Metrotown. The company expanded to Washington State at the start of the new millennium, opening in the city of Auburn. Further expansion in the mid-2000s saw Kirmac add locations in Seattle, Bellevue, and Burien as well as the Thoroughbred Collision Centers. Today, Kirmac continues expansion in the Puget Sound area adding three locations including Newcastle, Renton, and Redmond in 2011.

Kirmac has been able to grow throughout the decades by utilizing computerization, implementing disciplined systems and processes, purchasing the latest equipment and hiring the type of employees who fit our company values.