Cole’s marks opening of shop
NORTHGREENBUSH, N. Y. » Cole’s Collision Centers, the Capital Region’s largest family- owned auto repair company, recently opened its first Rensselaer County location.
Located at 97 Route 4, the 14,000- square- foot facility uses 2.2 acres of formerly vacant land in the North Greenbush.
Ownership and staff joined community leaders on Wednesday evening for a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce and grand opening celebration for the new site, which is the company’s fifth collision center. The four others are located in Albany and Saratoga counties.
Construction of the facility began in late 2016 following the approval of the land deal by the Rensselaer County Industrial Development Agency.
The building, designed by m. besse architect, includes state- of- the- art auto repair and paint equipment, including a USA Italia spray booth.
Parking areas on both sides of the building can accommodate up to 36 vehicles. Operations at this location will be in line with Cole’s longstanding commitment to environmental protection through the use of water- based paints and air filtration systems.
“Opening this location is the result of several years of work, not just on our part but on the part of the many partners and representatives from the town of North Greenbush and Rensselaer County Industrial Development Agency with whom we’ve worked,” Cole’s Collision Centers owner John Cole said in a news release. “I’d like to thank them for their support in making this happen and I look forward to continuing our promise of quality repair work and customer service in North Greenbush.”
At the ceremony, Cole also spoke about the 10year anniversary of the business, which started in 2007 in Colonie. He said, “10 years is a huge milestone for us, especially when I think back to the early days of the company.”
Area elected officials and dignitaries including Rensselaer County Execut ive Kathleen Jimino, Assemblyman John McDonald III and North Greenbush Town
Supervisor Lou Desso all attended Wednesday’s gathering to celebrate the center’s opening and share their congratulations.
“We’re very happy to have you, and have you as a part of all of the development that’s going on in this Route 4 corridor,” Jimino said. “To see this development and to know what that means in terms of growth, in terms of sales tax, in terms of property tax on this side of the river is a tremendous boost.”
McDonald also thanked Cole’s Collision Centers for choosing North Greenbush and rensselaer County as its new home, mentioning the jobs that the new center will create.
Cole’s plans to hire more than 15 new employees to staff this location, from mechanical technicians and journeymen to clerical staff and customer service representatives. The company employs around 100 between its five locations.
“As town supervisor, it is always gratifying to see vacant, deteriorating properties developed by an entity that has a proven track record and an established tradition of success, as John does,” Desso said, adding that the facility will greatly improve the aesthetics of the town’s main corridor. “Your vision here matches the vision of North Greenbush perfectly, that is to support and deliver projects that will have a positive impact on our community through its products, services, job creation and tax revenue.”
As part of the grand opening celebration, as Cole’s presented a donation of $ 2,500 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Rensselaer County. “We’re so thankful and honored,” said executive director Jessica Rowell after receiving the giant check. The donated money will help support the clubs’ afterschool programming for local children. “With this generous investment from Cole’s Collision Centers, we can open the door to do even more tomorrow,” Rowell said in the release.
More information about Cole’s Collision Centers and its services is available online at www.colescollision.com.