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The Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders Podcast

The Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders Podcast

By: Sebastian Jachymiak
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Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders is a four-generation, family-owned collision repair center in Palos Heights, Illinois, with roots that go back to 1935. It all started when founder Martin Kallemeyn left his career as a home builder and began repairing cars out of a two-car garage in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood on the south side. His son Earl carried the torch after him, and today brothers Todd and Mark Kallemeyn run the business alongside their sons Paul and Josh. For nearly 90 years, the Kallemeyn family has been a trusted name in the Southwest Chicago suburbs, building their reputation one repair at a time through honest communication, hands-on craftsmanship, and a real commitment to getting every vehicle back on the road safely.

What sets Kallemeyn apart in today's collision repair industry is the depth of their manufacturer certifications and technical training. The shop holds certified collision repair status from Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, and Toyota, meaning their technicians have completed rigorous, brand-specific training and use genuine OEM parts and factory-approved repair procedures on every job. From EV battery diagnostics and Autopilot calibration on Teslas to precision frame alignment on luxury European vehicles, the team stays current with the latest methods and equipment required by each manufacturer. That level of specialization is rare for an independent, family-run shop, and it speaks to a culture that has always prioritized doing things the right way over taking shortcuts.

As a proud member of the TechniCraft Automotive Group, Kallemeyn combines the personal touch of a neighborhood body shop with the resources and ongoing education that come from being part of a larger network of top-tier collision centers across Illinois. Customers consistently highlight the shop's clear communication throughout the repair process, fair pricing, and results that often exceed expectations. Located at 12145 S. Ridgeland Avenue in Palos Heights, the shop is open Monday through Friday and continues to operate by the same values Martin Kallemeyn built the business on back in 1935: personalized service, integrity, and workmanship you can count on.

Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders

12145 S. Ridgeland Ave
Palos Heights, IL 60463

(708) 597-8040

Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
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Episodes
  • Toyota Certified Collision Repair Palos Heights, IL
    Oct 15 2026

    Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders performs Toyota Certified Collision Repair in Palos Heights, IL, repairing damaged Toyotas to factory condition with Toyota Genuine Parts and Toyota's published repair procedures. The shop repairs the full Toyota lineup, including the Camry, Corolla, RAV4, Highlander, Sienna, Tacoma, and Tundra, along with hybrid models, and takes on everything from bumper damage to major structural repairs.

    Palos Heights and the neighboring southwest suburbs are family-car country, and the Toyotas that come into the Ridgeland Avenue shop are mostly daily drivers hurt in daily driving. A Highlander rear-ended at a light on Harlem Avenue, a Sienna backed into in a grocery store lot, or a RAV4 with a crushed front corner from a turn at 123rd Street are typical jobs. Those vehicles often carry kids, so getting the safety systems right matters. The radar for Toyota Safety Sense sits behind the front grille area and the camera sits behind the windshield, and the shop recalibrates both to Toyota's specifications after any repair that disturbs them.

    Every Toyota repair at Kallemeyn starts with a documented damage assessment and a pre-repair scan, followed by a written repair plan built on Toyota's collision repair information for that model. Structural work follows Toyota's specifications for ultra-high-strength steel, hybrid systems are shut down using Toyota's high-voltage procedure, and refinishing matches the factory color and clearcoat. A post-repair scan, calibration check, and final inspection come before delivery. The shop holds I-CAR Gold Class status along with its Toyota certification. Sebastian Jachymiak is a partner in Kallemeyn, and the shop is part of the Technicraft Automotive Group, the family-owned collision repair network he founded with his father, George, in 1996.

    Toyota owners can call Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders at (708) 597-8040 to schedule a damage assessment at 12145 S Ridgeland Ave. The shop works with insurance carriers through its Direct Repair Program partnerships and stays in contact with the adjuster throughout the repair. A Toyota repaired here goes home with Genuine Parts and its safety systems calibrated to factory specification. Kallemeyn is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and serves Palos Heights, Worth, Alsip, Chicago Ridge, Oak Lawn, and Orland Park.

    Listen to our latest podcast about Toyota toyota certified collision repair services in Palos Heights, IL - https://kallemeynautorebuilders.podbean.com/e/toyota-certified-collision-repair-palos-heights-il/

    Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders

    12145 S. Ridgeland Ave, Palos Heights, IL 60463

    (708) 597-8040

    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • Lexus Authorized Collision Repair Palos Heights, IL
    Oct 15 2026

    Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders performs Lexus Authorized Collision Repair in Palos Heights, IL, returning damaged Lexus vehicles to factory condition with Lexus Genuine Parts and the manufacturer's published repair procedures. The shop repairs the ES, IS, RX, NX, UX, and GX, including hybrid models, and covers structural repair, refinishing, and recalibration of the Lexus driver-assistance systems.

    Lexus owners in Palos Heights and the surrounding southwest suburbs put most of their miles on Harlem Avenue, Ridgeland Avenue, 123rd Street, and Route 83, and that is where most of the damage happens. An RX rear-ended at a busy light on Harlem, an ES with a dented door from a tight spot in a shopping center lot, or a GX with a damaged front end from a slow-speed hit at an intersection are common. Lexus places the Safety System+ radar behind the spindle grille emblem and blind-spot sensors in the rear bumper corners, so the shop recalibrates them after the repair. Matching Lexus paint takes skill too, since the brand's pearl whites and deep colors are built in layers and have to be blended to match the panels around them.

    The repair process at Kallemeyn starts with a documented damage assessment and a pre-repair scan, then a written plan based on Lexus collision repair information for the model. Structural work follows Lexus specifications for steel and aluminum parts, hybrids are powered down by the manufacturer's high-voltage procedure, and refinishing builds color and clearcoat to brand standard. A post-repair scan, sensor calibration, and final inspection close each job. The shop holds I-CAR Gold Class status with its Lexus Authorized Collision Center designation. Sebastian Jachymiak is a partner at Kallemeyn, which operates within the Technicraft Automotive Group, the family-owned network founded in 1996 that runs 11 shops across greater Chicago and Bloomington-Normal.

    Lexus owners can call Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders at (708) 597-8040 to schedule an assessment at 12145 S Ridgeland Ave. Through its Direct Repair Program partnerships, the shop coordinates directly with the insurer so the claim keeps moving. A Lexus repaired here comes back with Genuine Parts, calibrated safety systems, and a finish built to brand standard. The shop is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and serves Palos Heights, Worth, Alsip, Chicago Ridge, Oak Lawn, and Orland Park.

    Listen to our latest podcast about Lexus authorized collision repair services in Palos Heights, IL - https://kallemeynautorebuilders.podbean.com/e/lexus-authorized-collision-repair-palos-heights-il/

    Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders

    12145 S. Ridgeland Ave, Palos Heights, IL 60463

    (708) 597-8040

    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
  • Mercedes-Benz Certified Collision Repair Palos Heights, IL
    Jul 26 2026

    Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders performs Mercedes-Benz Certified Collision Repair in Palos Heights, IL, restoring damaged Mercedes-Benz vehicles to the structural and cosmetic standards published by the manufacturer. The shop holds direct certification from Mercedes-Benz covering the C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, GLC, and GLE, which means every repair follows the specific procedures that Mercedes-Benz engineers wrote for that vehicle. This is not a general competency badge. Mercedes-Benz certifies each shop individually, requiring approved equipment, ongoing manufacturer training, and periodic audits that verify the shop meets the program's repair standards.

    South suburban Mercedes-Benz owners who need collision work face a real gap in this market. Most body shops along the Harlem Ave corridor and through the Palos, Orland Park, and Oak Lawn communities are not certified by Mercedes-Benz and do not carry the tooling or training to follow the manufacturer's repair procedures for aluminum body panels, high-strength steel structural components, or advanced driver assistance system recalibration. A GLC that gets hit on LaGrange Road or an S-Class that picks up quarter panel damage on I-294 still requires the same factory-standard repair process, regardless of where the collision happened. The difference between a certified repair and an approximation shows up in panel fit, paint match, sensor accuracy, and whether the vehicle's safety systems come back to full function.

    Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders begins each Mercedes-Benz repair with a documented damage assessment identifying every affected structural member, body panel, and sensor. The repair plan follows Mercedes-Benz published procedures for the specific year, model, and build of the vehicle, dictating which components are repaired, which are replaced, and which joining and finishing methods apply at each step.

    The shop holds I-CAR Gold Class certification, the collision repair industry's highest training credential, in addition to the Mercedes-Benz certification. Kallemeyn is part of the Technicraft Automotive Group, a family-owned collision repair network founded in 1996 by George and Sebastian Jachymiak that carries 13 OEM manufacturer certifications across its locations and maintains Direct Repair Program partnerships with major insurance carriers.

    When a Mercedes-Benz owner contacts Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders after a collision, the shop works directly with the owner's insurance company as a DRP partner and insurance liaison, coordinating the claim, the repair authorization, and the completion timeline so the owner is not managing the process alone. Kallemeyn is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and serves Mercedes-Benz owners throughout the south suburbs, including Palos Heights, Palos Park, Orland Park, Worth, Oak Lawn, and Tinley Park. To schedule a damage assessment or start the repair process, contact Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders at (708) 597-8040.

    Listen to our latest podcast about Mercedes-Benz Certified Collision Repair services in Palos Heights, IL - https://kallemeynautorebuilders.podbean.com/e/mercedes-benz-certified-collision-repair-palos-heights-il/

    Kallemeyn Auto Rebuilders

    12145 S. Ridgeland Ave, Palos Heights, IL 60463

    (708) 597-8040

    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
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