Fort St. John shop will retain staff while providing enhanced service under new ownership

Alaska Hi-Way Autobody and Alaska Hi-Way Auto Glass are officially under new ownership.

Now known as CSN Alaska Hi-Way, the Fort St. John repair shop and glass shop were acquired on May 1, 2022, by Lift Auto Group.

“I wouldn’t have sold it if I didn’t think they were going to make a bigger, better, thriving business of it so my staff could stay on,” former owner Lorraine Henderson says.

Henderson started managing the glass repair shop in 1998 before moving onto the autobody side of the business. She eventually bought out the body shop in 2016 and the glass shop in 2018 with her son as a partner.

While Henderson has retired to address health issues, she’s optimistic about the shop’s future, which has been a staple in the Fort St. John community for over 40 years, with its gigantic yellow truck hoisted above the building making it easy to identify and even harder to miss.

“I hope to see my prior business grow and flourish. I think the way of the future for body shops are the bigger chains so that they can remain more competitive,” she says.

“I appreciate my employees and all their years of service with me. Without them, there wouldn’t have been a body shop to sell.”

New manager Cecil Hanvold has been with the shop for the past three years, moving to Fort St. John with his wife, Tanya, after working as a technician in Surrey for over 25 years.

“With Lift, there’s added support, new technology, a bigger presence, and it gives comfort to the customer that repairs are life-time warrantied. They have faith in the company,” Hanvold explains.

“The additional technology helps us keep customers informed better,” Tanya says.

“We’re set up with an automatic text message system so customers can get instant updates on the status of their repairs.”

Getting into a car accident can be scary and overwhelming in its own right, but subsequent vehicle repairs can be an added layer of tension for someone already experiencing the traumatic effects of a collision. Lift Auto Group have the training and knowledge required to ensure their locations are fully equipped to walk their customers through the repair process step by step, helping them with all collision repair needs so they can drive away with peace of mind.

“There’s always a lot of confusion with customers when it comes to dealing with insurance. When a customer calls us, we’re going to inform them of the wait time. We can go over what’s involved with the repair and if their insurance covers the cost of getting a rental,” Tanya says.

“We help them to understand the repair a little better and reach out and communicate with adjusters to get their needs met.”

Collision repair is rapidly evolving, and CSN Alaska Hi-Way is committed to providing solutions for the changing needs of its customers and their vehicles.

In a remote community such as Fort St. John, one of the biggest challenges with performing vehicle repairs is getting the required parts up North, especially if they’re coming from the Lower Mainland. It can take as many as five days to receive them in some cases.

“The great part about Lift Auto Group is that they have better reach and enhanced connections to get those parts quicker,” Hanvold says.

CSN Alaska understand how important it is to have a functional vehicle.

“Our goal is to offer the best customer experience possible and provide safe, high-quality repairs.” Tanya says.

In addition to collision repair, other services offered by CSN Alaska Hi-Way include scratch and dent repair, vehicle paint, paint-less dent repair, windshield, and glass repair, 24-hour towing, insurance claims support and more.

For more information, visit csnalaska.com.