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The B&L Automotive Repairs, Inc. Podcast

The B&L Automotive Repairs, Inc. Podcast

By: Sebastian Jachymiak
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B&L Automotive Repairs is a family-owned collision repair center in Chicago, Irving Park neighborhood with over 45 years of hands-on experience in the auto body industry. The shop was founded in 1978 by Bernie Schatz and Lou Stein, who opened the original location at 2853 West Montrose Avenue with 6,250 square feet of workspace and a deep focus on serving their local community. When Peter Rizzo came on board in 1981, the growing demand for their work pushed the team to relocate to their current 12,500-square-foot facility at 3830 North Kedzie Avenue, where a crew of 16 employees expanded the shop's capabilities into collision repair, fleet work, and rental services. Long-time team member Gino Jacobazzi joined in 1987 and stayed devoted to the business for over 30 years before retiring in 2023. When Peter Rizzo retired in 2019, the shop joined the TechniCraft Automotive Group family, and it continues to operate under the same community-first values that Bernie and Lou built it on. B&L holds manufacturer certifications from Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Toyota, Kia, Nissan, and Subaru, which means their technicians complete brand-specific training and follow strict OEM repair procedures using genuine factory parts on every job. The shop is BBB Accredited and has been since 1999. Whether the repair involves EV battery diagnostics on a Tesla, precision frame alignment on a luxury European vehicle, or full collision restoration on a daily driver, B&L's team has the specialized tools and training to bring the vehicle back to factory specifications. That level of manufacturer trust is something you earn through consistent, documented results over decades, not overnight. With nearly 700 reviews on Yelp, a 4.9-star average on Nextdoor, and a 98% recommendation rate on Facebook, B&L's reputation speaks for itself through the voices of real customers across Chicago's north side. Neighbors and repeat clients regularly highlight the shop's clear communication throughout the repair process, perfectly matched paint work, and willingness to coordinate directly with insurance companies to take the stress off the vehicle owner. Located at 3830 North Kedzie Avenue in Irving Park, B&L is open Monday through Friday and remains what it has always been since 1978: a neighborhood body shop where quality workmanship and honest relationships with customers come before everything else. B&L Automotive Repairs 3830 N Kedzie Ave,Chicago, IL 60618 (773) 463-1622B&L Automotive Repairs, Inc. Copyright 2026 All rights reserved. Economics
Episodes
  • Toyota Certified Collision Repair Irving Park, Chicago, IL
    Oct 15 2026

    B&L Automotive Repairs performs Toyota Certified Collision Repair in Irving Park, Chicago, IL, restoring Toyota vehicles to factory condition with Toyota Genuine Parts and the manufacturer's published repair procedures. The shop repairs every current Toyota model, from the Corolla and Camry that crowd the neighborhood's curbs to the RAV4, Highlander, Sienna, and Tacoma, and it is trained to work on the hybrid systems in the Prius, RAV4 Hybrid, and Camry Hybrid. Toyota owners who bring a damaged vehicle to the Kedzie Avenue shop get repairs done the way Toyota requires, with every step documented.

    Irving Park is full of Toyotas parked bumper to bumper on narrow residential streets, and that is where a lot of the damage starts. A Corolla that gets clipped by a passing car on a side street, a RAV4 with a dented rear quarter from a tight parallel park along Kedzie Avenue, or a Camry rear-ended at the light at Addison or Irving Park Road are the repairs this shop sees week after week. Those everyday hits often reach parts most drivers never think about. The rear bumper on many Toyotas carries blind-spot radar, and the front bumper and grille hold the Toyota Safety Sense radar, so a repair that looks cosmetic still ends with a calibration to Toyota's specifications.

    Each Toyota repair at B&L begins with a documented damage assessment and a diagnostic scan, then a written repair plan built on Toyota's collision repair information for that model. Structural work follows Toyota's specifications for high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel, including where parts must be replaced rather than repaired. Refinishing matches Toyota's factory color and clearcoat, and a post-repair scan, system calibration, and final inspection come before the vehicle is released. B&L holds I-CAR Gold Class status alongside its Toyota certification. The shop is one of three locations personally acquired by Sebastian and Kinga Jachymiak as part of the Technicraft Automotive Group, a family-owned collision repair network founded in 1996 that now operates 11 shops across the greater Chicago area and Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.

    Toyota owners in Irving Park can contact B&L Automotive Repairs at (773) 463-1622 to schedule a damage assessment at 3830 N Kedzie Ave. The shop works with insurance carriers through its Direct Repair Program partnerships, acting as the liaison between the owner and the insurer so the claim keeps moving. A Toyota repaired at a Toyota certified shop comes back with Genuine Parts and safety systems set to factory specification. B&L is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and serves drivers throughout Irving Park, Albany Park, Avondale, and Portage Park.

    Listen to our latest podcast about Toyota certified collision repair services in Irving Park, Chicago, IL - https://blautomotiverepairs.podbean.com/e/irving-park-chicago-il-toyota-certified-collision-repair/

    B&L Automotive Repairs, Inc.

    3830 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

    (773) 463-1622

    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
  • Lexus Authorized Collision Repair Irving Park, Chicago, IL
    Oct 15 2026

    B&L Automotive Repairs performs Lexus Authorized Collision Repair in Irving Park, Chicago, IL, returning damaged Lexus vehicles to factory condition with Lexus Genuine Parts and the repair procedures Lexus publishes for each model. The shop repairs the ES, IS, RX, NX, UX, and GX, including the hybrid versions, and its work covers structural repair, refinishing, and recalibration of the driver-assistance systems built into every late-model Lexus.

    Lexus owners in Irving Park face the same street conditions as everyone else in the neighborhood. Cars sit along tight residential blocks and busy Kedzie Avenue, and steady traffic at Addison and Irving Park Road keeps rear-end and corner damage coming in. An NX with a pushed-in rear bumper from a parking mishap or an ES clipped while turning onto Irving Park Road needs more than a straightforward panel swap. Lexus mounts its Safety System+ radar behind the spindle grille emblem and blind-spot radar in the rear bumper corners, so the shop recalibrates those sensors after the repair. Lexus paint matters too. The brand's pearl whites and layered dark colors need careful tinting and blending to disappear next to the original finish.

    The repair process at B&L starts with a documented damage assessment and a pre-repair scan, followed by a written plan based on Lexus collision repair information. Structural and panel work follows Lexus specifications for steel and aluminum parts, hybrid models are powered down by the manufacturer's high-voltage procedure, and refinishing builds the color and clearcoat to Lexus standards. A post-repair scan, system calibration, and final inspection come last. B&L holds I-CAR Gold Class status along with its Lexus certification, and it is one of three shops Sebastian and Kinga Jachymiak acquired as they grew the Technicraft Automotive Group, the family-owned network founded in 1996 that now runs 11 locations across greater Chicago and Bloomington-Normal.

    Lexus owners can call B&L Automotive Repairs at (773) 463-1622 to schedule an assessment at 3830 N Kedzie Ave. Through its Direct Repair Program partnerships, the shop coordinates directly with the insurer and keeps the claim on track. A Lexus repaired here leaves with Genuine Parts, calibrated safety systems, and a finish that meets the brand's standard. B&L is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and serves Irving Park, Albany Park, Avondale, and Portage Park.

    Listen to our latest podcast about lexus authorized collision repair services in Irving Park, Chicago, IL - https://blautomotiverepairs.podbean.com/e/lexus-authorized-collision-repair-irving-park-chicago-il/

    B&L Automotive Repairs, Inc.

    3830 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

    (773) 463-1622

    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
  • Mercedes-Benz Certified Collision Repair Irving Park, Chicago, IL
    Jul 29 2026

    B&L Automotive Repairs performs Mercedes-Benz Certified Collision Repair in Irving Park, Chicago, IL, restoring collision-damaged Mercedes-Benz vehicles according to the manufacturer's published repair procedures and structural standards. The certification covers the C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, and GLE, meaning each repair follows the exact material, fastener, and process specifications that Mercedes-Benz sets for its own vehicles rather than generic or aftermarket methods. Drivers in Irving Park who own a Mercedes-Benz and need collision work done to factory standard bring their vehicle to a shop that has earned and maintained the manufacturer's own facility and technician approval.

    Irving Park sits along some of the busiest north-south and east-west corridors on Chicago's northwest side, where Kedzie Avenue and Irving Park Road carry heavy daily traffic through a neighborhood packed with signaled intersections, on-street parking, and tight lane changes near the commercial stretches. A Mercedes-Benz that gets clipped while parked on Kedzie or rear-ended at a light on Irving Park Road needs more than a general body shop pulling the dent and matching the paint. The structural panels, bonded joints, and integrated restraint mounting points on a current E-Class or GLE are engineered as a connected system, and cutting corners on one section can change how the vehicle absorbs force in a future collision. The shop at 3830 N Kedzie Ave sees this kind of damage regularly from the dense, stop-and-go driving conditions that define this part of Chicago.

    B&L Automotive Repairs starts every Mercedes-Benz collision repair with a full damage assessment that documents structural and cosmetic damage before any disassembly or repair work begins. The repair plan follows the procedures Mercedes-Benz publishes for the specific model involved, covering panel replacement or sectioning, structural alignment, factory-specified corrosion protection at attachment points, and color-matched refinishing. The shop holds I-CAR Gold Class certification, the collision repair industry's highest training recognition, alongside its Mercedes-Benz Certified Collision Center designation. B&L is part of the Technicraft Automotive Group, a family-owned collision repair network founded in 1996 by George and Sebastian Jachymiak that now operates eleven locations across the greater Chicago area and Bloomington-Normal, IL. The group also holds certifications from Tesla, Ford, FCA/Stellantis, and Subaru, reflecting a facility and training investment that extends well beyond any single manufacturer program.

    When a Mercedes-Benz owner in Irving Park needs collision repair, B&L Automotive Repairs coordinates directly with the driver's insurance company through its Direct Repair Program partnerships, acting as a liaison between the vehicle owner and the carrier so the claims process does not delay the repair. The shop also assists with rental car coordination while the vehicle is in for service. B&L is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at 3830 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60618. Drivers can call (773) 463-1622 to schedule a damage assessment or ask about the repair process for their specific Mercedes-Benz model.

    Listen to our latest podcast about Mercedes-Benz Certified Collision Repair services in Irving Park, Chicago, IL - https://blautomotiverepairs.podbean.com/e/mercedes-benz-certified-collision-repair-irving-park-chicago-il/

    B&L Automotive Repairs, Inc.

    3830 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

    (773) 463-1622

    Show More Show Less
    12 mins
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