Community Corner
Patch Peeps: Michael Grant Goes Green with Auto Body Shop
Little Silver resident runs Shrewsbury auto body shop with an eye on the environment.
A resident of Little Silver for 8 years, Michael Grant was born in Denver, Colorado. Grant moved to Little Silver with his wife because of the “great schools. It’s a nice town that is close to the water.” Their daughter was born a year after this move.
In 1993, Grant left a good job at IBM to follow his entrepreneurial spirit and help out the family business. Started by his father in 1977, Grant now runs .
Collex is not your ordinary auto body shop due to Grant’s concern for our environment. In September 2009, Grant went with a Waterborne paint system. No longer are solvents filling the air at this shop that the original spray painting system used to leave there. “This system creates a safer and better place to work,” added Grant.
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Grant also informed me that they recycle the water used during detailing. “We recycle everything,” stated Grant. “This not only includes our metal, but also our paper and magazines.”
Having a friend in the Solar industry, Grant recently had 192 Solar Modules installed on the roof of Collex. Weighing the cost versus the benefit, this decision was an easy one for him to make. “We generate one-third of what we typically use annually,” explained Grant. “This is equivalent to 1560 trees not being cut down.”
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“I have a great team here,” continued Grant. “I am fortunate to have a lot of good people. I am responsible for the Human Resources side of the business. I have always been a businessman and a leader.”
Two major parts of Grant’s life led him to go green. The first one is recognizing the world that his daughter Rachael is growing up in. The other is a rare health issue with a family member that could have been induced by the environment.
Education is also a major concern of Grant, as he is a member of Little Silver’s Board of Education. He has assisted his daughter with her activities by coaching soccer and softball.
Grant is looking forward to moving ahead with his plans for expansion for Collex Collision Experts. Grant is definitely leading his industry by example. Hopefully, other companies will start becoming more environmentally conscious.
To find out more about Collex Collision Experts, visit www.autobodyexperts.com.
