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The S&S Paint & Body Inc. Podcast

The S&S Paint & Body Inc. Podcast

By: Sebastian Jachymiak
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S&S Paint & Body is a collision repair and auto body shop in Bloomington, Illinois, that has been a trusted name in the central Illinois community since 1975. The business was founded by Larry Smiley, who started with a humble operation focused on repairing semis and service vehicles. In 1980, Kelly Spence joined the shop washing cars, and over the years he worked his way up from the wash bay to expert technician to business owner. Larry recognized Kelly's talent and work ethic, and the two formed a partnership in 1990. When Larry retired in 1999, Kelly took over full ownership and continued the legacy of quality repairs and customer-first service that the shop had been known for since day one. Kelly went on to lead the business for nearly two more decades before entrusting S&S to the TechniCraft Automotive Group, led by Sebastian Jachymiak and his wife Kinga, ensuring the shop would carry forward under the same name, the same structure, and the same standards the Bloomington community had come to rely on for half a century.

The shop holds manufacturer-certified collision repair status from Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, and other leading automotive brands, which means the team follows strict OEM procedures and uses genuine factory parts on every certified job. S&S is BBB Accredited and offers a comprehensive range of services that includes collision repair, unibody and frame straightening, fiberglass repair, suspension and electrical work, airbag replacement, refinishing, hand pinstriping, paintless dent removal, auto glass replacement, and full interior and exterior detailing. The facility is staffed by trained technicians using industry-leading repair and diagnostics equipment, and General Manager Jennifer Mazeika oversees day-to-day operations to make sure every vehicle that leaves the shop meets the standard that Larry and Kelly built over decades of hands-on work. The shop also arranges on-site rental car service for customers who need a vehicle while theirs is being repaired.

Beyond the technical work, S&S Paint & Body has deep roots in the Bloomington-Normal community through active philanthropic involvement, supporting organizations like the Wounded Warriors Project, McLean County PONY Baseball, the Special Olympics of Illinois, and PATH, Inc. On CARwise alone, the shop has accumulated over 1,000 verified customer reviews, and customers across platforms consistently highlight the quick turnaround times, meticulous paint matching, thorough vehicle cleaning upon pickup, and a staff that makes the entire repair process feel straightforward and stress-free. Located at 2051 Ireland Grove Road in Bloomington, S&S is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM and stands behind its auto body repair and paintwork to give every customer confidence that the job was done right. After 50 years in business and multiple generations of ownership, S&S Paint & Body remains exactly what it has been since 1975: a neighborhood body shop where the quality of the work and the care for the customer have never been negotiable.

S&S Paint & Body

2051 Ireland Grove Rd
Bloomington, IL 61704

(309) 662-5241

S&S Paint & Body Inc. Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
Economics
Episodes
  • Lexus Authorized Collision Repair Bloomington, IL
    Oct 15 2026

    S&S Paint & Body performs Lexus Authorized Collision Repair in Bloomington, IL, restoring Lexus vehicles to factory condition with Lexus Genuine Parts and the manufacturer's published repair procedures. A Bloomington-Normal shop since 1975, S&S repairs the ES, IS, RX, NX, UX, and GX, including hybrid models, and covers structural work, refinishing, and recalibration of Lexus driver-assistance systems.

    Lexus owners in Bloomington drive Veterans Parkway in town, commute on I-55 and I-74, and travel rural McLean County roads where deer cross often in the fall. An RX with front-end damage from a deer on a county road, an ES rear-ended in traffic near the Veterans Parkway shopping corridor, or an NX scraped in a parking lot are the kinds of repairs the shop sees most. Front-end hits on a Lexus often reach the Safety System+ radar behind the spindle grille emblem, along with the headlamps and radiator support. The shop inspects all of it during teardown and recalibrates the radar and camera after the repair. Refinishing takes equal care, since Lexus pearl whites and layered colors have to match the original finish exactly.

    The repair process at S&S starts with a documented damage assessment and a pre-repair scan, followed by a written plan based on Lexus collision repair information. Structural work follows Lexus specifications for steel and aluminum components, hybrids are powered down by the manufacturer's high-voltage procedure, and refinishing builds color and clearcoat to brand standard. A post-repair scan, calibration, and final inspection come last. The shop holds I-CAR Gold Class status with its Lexus Authorized Collision Center designation. Founded by Larry Smiley in 1975, S&S became part of the Technicraft Automotive Group under Sebastian Jachymiak and still supports Wounded Warriors Project, Special Olympics of Illinois, McLean County PONY Baseball, and PATH Inc.

    Lexus owners can contact S&S Paint & Body at (309) 662-5241 to schedule an assessment at 2051 Ireland Grove Rd. Through its Direct Repair Program partnerships, the shop coordinates directly with the insurer and keeps the claim on track. A Lexus repaired here comes back with Genuine Parts, calibrated safety systems, and a finish built to brand standard. S&S is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and serves Bloomington, Normal, and the surrounding McLean County area.

    Listen to our latest podcast about Lexus Authorized Collision Repair services in Bloomington, IL - https://sspaintbody.podbean.com/e/lexus-authorized-collision-repair-bloomington-il/

    S&S Paint & Body, Inc.

    2051 Ireland Grove Rd, Bloomington, IL 61704

    (309) 662-5241

    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • Toyota Certified Collision Repair Bloomington, IL
    Oct 15 2026

    S&S Paint & Body performs Toyota Certified Collision Repair in Bloomington, IL, repairing Toyota cars, trucks, SUVs, and hybrids with Toyota Genuine Parts and the repair procedures Toyota publishes for each model. The shop has served Bloomington-Normal since 1975, and its Toyota work covers the Camry, Corolla, RAV4, Highlander, Sienna, Tacoma, and Tundra, from light body damage to structural repair.

    Drivers in Bloomington split their miles between city traffic on Veterans Parkway and highway driving on I-55 and I-74, with rural McLean County roads all around. That mix shows in the Toyotas that come into the Ireland Grove Road shop. A Camry rear-ended in traffic on Veterans Parkway, a RAV4 with front-end damage after hitting a deer on a county road in the fall, or a Tacoma scraped in a crowded lot near campus are all common. A deer strike on a newer Toyota usually reaches more than the bumper. The grille, headlamps, radiator support, and the Toyota Safety Sense radar can all take damage, so the shop inspects behind the bumper and recalibrates the radar and camera to Toyota's specifications after the repair.

    Each Toyota repair at S&S starts with a documented damage assessment and a pre-repair scan, followed by a written repair plan built on Toyota's collision repair information. 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 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. Larry Smiley founded S&S in 1975, and the shop later joined the Technicraft Automotive Group under Sebastian Jachymiak, keeping its name and its long record of support for Wounded Warriors Project, Special Olympics of Illinois, McLean County PONY Baseball, and PATH Inc.

    Toyota owners can call S&S Paint & Body at (309) 662-5241 to schedule a damage assessment at 2051 Ireland Grove Rd. The shop coordinates with insurance carriers through its Direct Repair Program partnerships, working with the adjuster so the claim moves forward without extra calls from the owner. A Toyota repaired here goes back on the road with Genuine Parts and safety systems set to factory specification. S&S is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and serves Bloomington, Normal, and the surrounding McLean County area.

    Listen to our latest podcast about Toyota Certified Collision Repair services in Bloomington, IL - https://sspaintbody.podbean.com/e/toyota-certified-collision-repair-bloomington-il/

    S&S Paint & Body, Inc.

    2051 Ireland Grove Rd, Bloomington, IL 61704

    (309) 662-5241

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

    S&S Paint & Body performs Mercedes-Benz Certified Collision Repair in Bloomington, IL, restoring collision-damaged Mercedes-Benz vehicles to factory condition using the manufacturer's published repair procedures. The certification covers the C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, GLC, and GLE, meaning S&S Paint & Body meets the facility, equipment, and technician training standards Mercedes-Benz requires before authorizing a shop to work on these models. The shop is part of Technicraft Automotive Group, a family-owned collision repair group founded in 1996 by George Jachymiak and his son Sebastian Jachymiak, and S&S itself has been operating in Bloomington since 1975.

    A Mercedes-Benz that gets hit in Bloomington-Normal needs the same factory-standard structural and refinishing work it would receive at a certified facility in any major metro. A C-Class with aluminum hood panels and bonded joints requires welding and adhesive methods specific to that construction, not the techniques used on a conventional steel body. A GLC or GLE equipped with pre-safe sensors and adaptive cruise radar needs those systems recalibrated after structural work, following the exact steps Mercedes-Benz published for that model and year. S&S Paint & Body is the only Technicraft Automotive Group location in central Illinois and has been the collision repair shop Bloomington-Normal drivers have brought their vehicles to for 50 years, giving it a depth of experience in this community that a shop without that same local history cannot match.

    The repair process begins with a documented damage assessment where every point of impact, structural shift, and panel deformation is recorded before any disassembly starts. The repair plan then follows Mercedes-Benz published procedures for the specific model involved, covering structural straightening, panel replacement or sectioning, corrosion protection, and factory color-matched refinishing. S&S Paint & Body holds I-CAR Gold Class certification, the collision repair industry's highest training standard, and carries additional OEM certifications from multiple manufacturers beyond Mercedes-Benz. The shop is a Direct Repair Program partner with multiple insurance carriers and is part of a 12-location group built by the Jachymiak family since 1996.

    When a Mercedes-Benz owner in Bloomington-Normal needs collision repair, the first step is contacting S&S Paint & Body at (309) 662-5241. General Manager Jennifer Mazeika and the team coordinate directly with the owner's insurance carrier through the shop's Direct Repair Program partnerships, handling the estimate, authorization, and repair scheduling so the vehicle owner is not managing that process alone. S&S Paint & Body is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and serves drivers throughout the Bloomington-Normal area and surrounding communities.

    Listen to our latest podcast about Mercedes-Benz Certified Collision Repair services in Bloomington, IL - https://sspaintbody.podbean.com/e/mercedes-benz-certified-collision-repair-bloomington-il/

    S&S Paint & Body, Inc.

    2051 Ireland Grove Rd, Bloomington, IL 61704

    (309) 662-5241

    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
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