50 years ago, in 1971 – the year of Cyclone Althea, of Australia deciding to pull out of Vietnam, and of Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen declaring a state of emergency in Queensland during the South African Springboks rugby tour – a new paint and panel shop opened on O’Loughlin Street in Mackay.

Co-founded by husband-and-wife team Ted and Lorraine McCarthy, the business saw out that interesting year and grew steadily, building a reputation that reflected its motto of ‘We never compromise on quality’.

Fast forward to 1988 and Ted and Lorraine’s son Craig took over the running of the shop and through the years that followed, together with wife Andrea, successfully grew the business, expanding the premises to include new facilities and nearby buildings, incorporating new technologies and new techniques to its services, becoming the first collision repair specialist in Queensland to achieve I-CAR Australia Gold Class status, and achieving a reputation in the industry as amongst the best in the business.

To mark the significant 50-year milestone, Andrea, who is Chair of MTA Queensland’s National Auto Collision Alliance division, organised a big bash to celebrate and more than 90 people – including staff, family, friends, business associates who had helped out on the journey, and special guests including the Mayor of Mackay – joined in the fun.

Also on hand for the festivities was a welcome mechanical guest – a 1971 HQ Monaro. And a bonnet of another HQ, painted and decorated with the McCarthy Panel Works logo, was on site as well to be signed by guests and which is to be hung in the business’s office as a memento.

Part of the fun of the evening included seeing just how much the business had physically grown, with Andrea marking out the original 1971 layout, and the subsequent expansions over the years, on the floor. Suffice to say, it has grown considerably.

While the evening was a celebration, the anniversary did also give everyone a chance to reflect on how far the business had come, on what had been achieved, and where things were headed.

There had, said Andrea, been hurdles to clear over the years – such as the effects of the Global Financial Crisis and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic – and there were the constant, ongoing, challenges surrounding staffing, dealing with the whims of the insurance companies, and the other regular ups and downs of business life. So, taking the chance to pause, take a breath and look back was welcome.

“Stopping to reflect is important,” said Andrea. “There have been times when we had to dig deep and maybe not do everything we wanted, but you work to keep ticking along and run your own race.

“We’ve been successful, and it’s also special to look back and realise we’ve helped a lot of people,” she added. “For example, over the years, we’ve had 30 apprentices go through the business and had a 75 per cent success rate on them completing – that is good, and obviously means we can’t be that bad a place to be!”

50 years is a long time to be in business and plans are in place that should see McCarthy’s Panel Works power through the next five decades.

Andrea and Craig have always ensured their team are well-trained and that the business is at the leading edge when it comes to technology and equipment. And so, as the industry as a whole grapples with its current evolution, it is no surprise to find the McCarthy’s team is ahead of the game with its plans, with new buildings already marked for the time when electric vehicles, and vehicles constructed of new and different materials, are common.

“We are looking to where the future is headed and what we think is coming, and we are preparing for that,” said Andrea.

While the business strategy is in place to see McCarthy’s Panel Works be a leading paint and panel shop for, perhaps, the next 50 years, whether a McCarthy will actually still be running the show is not so certain.

“Do my kids look like they are interested in taking over? Not so much,” said Andrea with a chuckle. “We have two boys who are off doing other things with their lives, but hopefully we can encourage someone here to step up and to have a crack. I do hope I’m not still doing this in 50 years!”

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (October 2021) 

20 October 2021