Five Decades Of Collision Care, From Family Roots To OEM Precision

How Has Ozzie’s Grown Since Opening In 1967?

What does it take to turn a small hometown body shop into a regional standard-bearer for safe, correct repairs? We sit down with CEO and co-owner Megan Mueller to trace a path from a five-person crew in 1967 to a modern, OEM-certified collision center serving Northern Colorado. The story moves through family ownership, a strategic relocation, and a defining choice to step away from insurer contracts that limited OEM procedures—leaning fully into manufacturer standards, advanced tools, and deep technician specialization.

Megan pulls back the curtain on how cars became computers on wheels and why that makes repair quality a safety issue, not a cosmetic one. We unpack vehicle structures that mix high-strength steel, aluminum, and composites to route crash energy away from passengers, plus the calibration needs of ADAS features like automatic braking, lane keeping, and blind-spot monitoring. You’ll hear how the team invests in approved welders, rivet guns, bonding systems, measuring rigs, and target boards—and why the real differentiator is relentless training tied to each brand’s repair procedures.

At the core is a family ethos: work for the vehicle owner, respect the design, and earn trust with clarity. Instead of shortcuts, Megan champions documentation, education, and repairs that preserve the car’s original crash performance. If you’ve ever wondered whether a repair can make your vehicle “like new,” or how OEM procedures differ from quick fixes, this conversation delivers practical insight you can use the next time you need collision care.

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To learn more about Ozzie's Body Shop visit:
https://www.OzziesBodyShop.com
Ozzie's Body Shop 
5280 N. Garfield Ave.
Loveland, Colorado 80538
970-667-7849 

Transcript

Welcome And Shop Origins

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to Crash Course, the Aussies Body Shop Show, where bent metal mystery noises and uh moments meet Northern Colorado's finest collision repair center. Hosted by Megan Mueller, co-owner and CEO of Ozzy's Body Shop, an OEM certified and authorized collision repair facility that's been getting families safely back on the road since 1967. From fender benders to full-on frame repairs, insurance questions to will this ever look right again? Megan's here to explain it all in plain English with a little grease, a little grace, and a lot of art. Because around here, the motto's simple. To be the best, you gotta be the best. And your car deserves nothing less. Let's pull into the shop and get started.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

From a small hometown shop to a trusted northern Colorado repair leader, this story has some mileage. Welcome back, everyone. Chelsea Early One here in the studio with Megan Mueller, co-owner and CEO of Aussies Body Shop. Megan, how are you today? Hey Chelsea, I'm good. I'm excited to be here with you. Great. Well, let's dive in. So my question for you today, Megan, is how has Ozzy's grown since opening in 1967?

Family Ownership And Expansion

SPEAKER_02 1:29

Okay. Yeah. Um so our original shop back in 1967 was down by the old fairgrounds in Loveland. Um, pretty small facility. And um Aussie, you know, really built it on reputation and customer service, excellent quality repairs. And that is something that has never changed. Um, so even though we've, you know, moved to a larger location and um adapted many times throughout just all of the changes with the industry, that's always been like kind of our core value. And uh so at the time back in the 80s, um, my dad was a painter for Aussie. And when Aussie was ready to sell it, uh, my dad and three other guys, there were only five employees at the time, they bought it together. And um, slowly over about 10, 15 years, my dad became the sole owner. Um, and then in 2000, we moved to the north side of Loveland. So um he built a facility um that was substantially larger and really just grew it into um, you know, I I'm so proud of my dad. I think it's just an amazing company. I loved growing up in it and growing up in the parades and all of that. And now my boys get to do all of that. Um and I love our location because it's easy for us to service all of northern Colorado with where we're at being right on 287.

From Tiny Bay To Modern Facility

SPEAKER_01 2:58

Oh, I love that. And I can tell you're so proud to be a part of it for for so many years. So, Megan, what did the shop look like in those early years compared to today? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

Um, I mean, it was just so tiny. I remember running around there when I was really little. And um yeah, the the more the company grew, the more dad realized that he needed some space. And this new facility, I mean, it's actually, my goodness, it's already 25 years old, this building that we're at now. Um, but it's, you know, we do a lot to keep it updated and and it's just it's a good spot. I can't imagine us going anywhere else for a while.

SPEAKER_01 3:39

And how has the team expanded as vehicle technology has evolved so much?

SPEAKER_02 3:45

Um, yeah, we have gone through lots of ups and downs as far as the the number of employees. At one point when we had like towing and mechanical and stuff, we had about 30 employees. We are sitting at um about 18 now. And everybody is just very, very specialized now, all of the technicians. So back in the day, repairs used to be very um, I don't know what the right word is, um, not as specialized, I guess. Um, because vehicles were pretty much just big pieces of metal that you kind of fixed the way that you fixed. Um, and now everything is so specialized. So every OEM has very um specific metals that they use in different spots of the vehicle, very specific automatic driving systems, um, very specific post-collision inspections that they want done. And so almost all of the technicians are specified in certain manufacturers. And that's how we operate now, rather than everybody just kind of working on everything.

Milestones And Leaving Insurance Contracts

SPEAKER_01 4:51

That makes a lot of sense. So, what major milestones stand out in Aussie's growth over the decades?

SPEAKER_02 4:59

I would say um, for me, um, you know, certainly dad taking over the shop was was a big one. Um, and when he became the sole owner. And then moving to this new facility was huge. Um and then we made a really, really large transition where we realized that the contractual agreements that we had with some of the insurance companies um no longer allowed us to repair vehicles the way that the OEMs wanted them repaired. So we made that transition. I want to say we started that about seven years ago, um, where we left any of those contractual agreements and really focused on um only repairing vehicles the way that the manufacturer wants.

Cars As Computers On Wheels

SPEAKER_01 5:46

And how has the shop adapted to changes in the collision repair industry specifically?

Training, Certifications, And Equipment

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Yeah, the collision repair industry, um, I mean, I think that everybody can acknowledge how much vehicles themselves have changed. They're they're computers on wheels now. Um and safety of vehicles is so different. So, you know, one vehicle can be made up of seven different metal substrates in all different areas, and that is completely designed to absorb an impact, throw that energy around the passengers in the vehicle and keep the people in the vehicle safe, no matter what the collision is. It's it's really incredible to actually research um like what goes into making sure that these vehicles operate correctly. And then you've got all the you know automatic driving features, like the automatic braking and you know, letting you know that there's somebody in your blind spot and keeping you in the same lane. Um and so all of that, I mean, as we keep, you know, growing in technology, the way that these vehicles are designed, it just it really blows your mind. Um, and it's so much to learn and adapt to. So continuing education is um, well, not only required by the certifications that we hold, but also something like I can't believe the hours that these guys spend, even on their own free time at home doing classes. It's it's incredible.

SPEAKER_01 7:12

Wow, yeah, so much has changed. My goodness. So, Megan, what investments have been the most impactful in supporting long-term growth at Aussies?

Investing In Tools And Standards

SPEAKER_02 7:23

We are constantly um investing in new equipment as the OEMs come out with new equipment um and new equipment requirements. So um we have an in an insane amount of welders and rivet guns and and just all the stuff. Um it's a huge financial investment between the training um and the equipment required to be certified. Um and it's it's continuous. I mean, every year they've they've got something new that they've come out with and um you know, oftentimes some new metal even that needs to be trained on. Oh wow.

Balancing Tech With Family Values

SPEAKER_01 8:00

Uh yeah, so important to keep up on all of that. Oh my gosh. So it's a lot. So, Megan, as we close out, how do you balance modernization with staying true to the shop's family-owned roots?

SPEAKER_02 8:14

More than anything, it's about um, you know, what that basis was way back in 1967 with Aussie, right? Customer service and excellent quality repairs. Um we we work for the vehicle owners and and repair their vehicle the way that we would want our vehicles repaired. Um and so we just, I mean, whatever is best for the vehicle owner and uh for that vehicle and the safety of it and and to ensure that it is going to crash the same, right? It's not just about repairing this one crash um to make it look okay. Anybody can make something look okay. It is making sure that the structural integrity of that vehicle is going to absorb that impact again in the future, the way that has been crash tested and proven to do so. Um, and so just providing the in an incredible amount of knowledge to vehicle owners, I would say, is near and dear to everybody's hearts that are down here.

SPEAKER_01 9:25

I love that. Well, Megan, thank you so much for walking us through that journey. It's very inspiring. We'll catch everyone on the next episode. Thanks.

SPEAKER_00 9:38

You've been listening to Crash Course, the Aussies Body Shop show with Megan Mueller, serving auto owners all across northern Colorado with certified family-owned collision care. If your vehicle's had a rough day, or you just want repairs done right the first time. For more information, visit Ozzy'sBodyShop.com or call 970-667-7849. Ozzy's Body Shop. To be the best, you gotta be the best. On the road and in the repair bay. Until next time, drive safe, and if life dances, you know where to send it.