om Simpson and Buddy Bruintjes believe in giving back. As owners of Benchmark Automotive Services Inc., the two business partners have found a number of creative ways to involve their staff and give back to the community.They have sponsored a variety of initiatives that have varied from offering mechanical workshops for new drivers to spending hours “bugging” donated vehicles for the CNC automotive program.
Tom and Buddy opened Benchmark together in 2003. Each partner brings a number of different skills to the venture including extensive experience in the automotive industry.
Benchmark provides services in all areas of automotive repair, while their specific area of expertise is in electronic diagnostics.
The partners feel customers return to Benchmark because of the high quality and value of service they receive. This commitment to providing excellent customer care is demonstrated both by the friendly greetings from staff and in the mission statement hanging proudly on the reception wall. Tom explains that staff members are taught to educate customers about their vehicle to help owners make informed decisions instead of simply telling them what needs to be fixed.
Benchmark grew much faster than expected and Buddy and Tom soon discovered that growing too quickly can cause management challenges. Benchmark now employs a staff of 10, a size the partners believe is conducive to providing the value and quality their customers have come to expect.
Tom’s advice to would-be-entrepreneurs is to take advantage of assistance offered by organizations like Community Futures to plan for the best and for the worst, as well as to find people who’ve been there before to provide guidance. As Tom explains, “getting into business is easy; it’s staying in business that’s hard.”
Benchmark Automotive
3532 Massy Drive
Prince George, BC
(250) 564-5000
Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm
