Leap of Faith and Love Delivers Livelong Happiness and Success with CARSTAR for Ohio

On Mar 24, 2022

When customers and vendors arrive at CARSTAR Mount Orab in Williamsburg, OH, they are greeted by the director of operations, Jackson Barnes, who offers a handshake and a welcome from his desk, where his Snap-on toolbox is by his side.

He is 6 years old, son of owners Kenny and Sarah Barnes, and he has literally grown up in the collision repair center.

Kenny and Sarah Barnes were high school sweethearts and married young. Kenny Barnes went on to work in the collision repair industry for 25 years, including managing locations in Cincinnati for a previous CARSTAR franchise partner. Sarah Barnes was in real estate.

When the opportunity came available, the Barneses joined forces with their friends Chris and Jennie Clark to open their own CARSTAR location.

“Kenny had always dreamed of owning his own repair center, so we took the leap,” said Sarah Barnes. “We opened when my son was 2.5 years old, and we’ve been a family business ever since. We worked 24/7 in the beginning, and our son Jackson was right by our side. He literally potty trained in the front office bathroom. But it’s been an amazing experience to all be together and spend so much time raising our son in this type of family business environment. We’re very fortunate to have this opportunity, but we worked hard to get here.”

Sarah Barnes never intended to have a career in collision repair. She had one in real estate and was used to working on her own. When Jackson was born, she intended to be a stay-at-home mom. Then they opened a collision repair center, and she agreed to help out in the beginning. That soon turned into 50-hour weeks.

“When we started, we worked around the clock through weekdays and weekends,” Sarah Barnes said. “Then we got our business established, earned our customer base, achieved our certifications and built our insurance relationships. CARSTAR was incredible in helping launch our business and guide us through the process. Today, they are right by our side as we continue to grow amid today’s changing industry.”

Sarah Barnes said she and Kenny have learned from each other through the process.

“I’d never been a manager, so I learned a lot about managing the business and managing people on the job from my husband and developed my multi-tasking skills,” she said. “I think he’s learned…