JVS Bodyworks, SA
Yes, country repairers need to be involved in their community but the judging panel were super-impressed with JVS Bodyworks.
It is easier for multi-site groups to raise more money and involve people in charity and community events from their large workforce. JVS Bodyworks in Renmark, South Australia is run by husband and wife team Jason and Tracey Gordon and for a relatively small country workshop they punch well above their weight in the community.
Tracey said in their awards entry: “Community involvement is at the heart of our business ethos, our most recent example is demonstrated by our participation in the Renmark Christmas Pageant – an event that showcased our team’s creativity, collaboration, and commitment to giving back to the community. Our team enthusiastically embraced the theme of pirates for the Renmark Christmas Pageant. We embarked on a collective effort to construct a pirate ship, utilising discarded pallets as an example of our dedication to sustainability and environmental consciousness.
“On the day of the pageant, our team fully embodied the spirit of pirates, delighting spectators and earning the coveted prize for the best float in the pageant. Following the pageant, we auctioned off the pirate ship in an online auction with the eventual successful bidder being a local primary school, ensuring that our creation continued to serve a purpose within the community for many years to come. we donated the prize money for the pageant award and proceeds from the auction to the Riverland Christmas Appeal.
“JVS Bodyworks is committed to helping in any way we can to drive the Automotive industry forward, we are active MTA members and heavily support the work the MTA do to bring our industry concerns in front of parliament. We are members of the Australia Collision Industry Alliance.
“We are currently working with a local high school on ways to introduce more automotive based practical learnings into their lessons. We are collating usable parts for students to safely explore and disassemble in their efforts to understand how things work. This also plays into our Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle culture.
“We support our local high schools through their Work Experience and Work Ready programs and offering school-based apprenticeships.
“Within our team, we are fortunate to have members who are deeply engaged in various community activities and initiatives, reflecting our shared values of active participation and contribution.
“Their diverse interests and engagements are not coincidental but a deliberate reflection of our recruitment philosophy. We actively seek out individuals who demonstrate a strong spirit of community involvement, recognising that their diverse experiences and passions enrich our team and strengthen our ties to the broader community.”