35th Anniversary 1971 - 2006

35 and Counting…

In 1971, Kurt's Autobody Repair Shop began serving McLean County with space for only five vehicles.  Thirty-five years, a move, and four site expansions later, Kurt's can now accommodate up to 54 vehicles at our Ireland Grove Rd. location. 

Over the past 35 years, owner Kurt Zimmer and his staff of 21 have seen many changes in the autobody industry and have worked hard to keep up with – and even ahead of – autobody repair trends.  Kurt's was the first autobody shop in Central Illinois to incorporate a down-draft paint booth into the repair process, improving the durability of paint from five to 10 years, as well as the first to add a unibody frame machine, which has now become an industry standard.  These and other efforts to expedite and improve the autobody repair process have helped Kurt's grow into the well-known Bloomington-Normal autobody shop it is today (after all, who isn't familiar with Kurt's crazy "accidents happen" television commercials?).

According to Zimmer, "much of our success is due in part to our goal of always making the autobody repair process easy on people.  We understand how inconvenient and stressful needing autobody repair can be – so we do everything we can, from working directly with a driver's insurance to scheduling repairs only when all parts have arrived, to make the experience as smooth as possible.  Customers appreciate that, and we appreciate their support and dedication to us over the years."