By Jeanine Caprino Zimmer
From family body shop roots to OEM-certified repairs: DCR Systems expands its model in Jamestown.
A Cleveland-born executive with Chautauqua Lake ties helped build a standardized collision repair approach now operating locally.
A collision repair center can look like any other storefront to passing drivers. But DCR Systems, a dealership-based model now operating in Jamestown, is built around a different promise: repairs performed to automaker procedures, documented step by step.
Founded in 2004, DCR Systems partners with auto dealerships to develop and manage collision repair facilities. The company describes its approach as a turnkey, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) -certified system designed to bring more consistency—both in how vehicles are repaired and how those repairs are communicated to customers and insurers.
President and CEO Michael Giarrizzo Jr. and CFO Cheryl Boswell lead the organization, which operates and licenses six facilities across five states, including a Jamestown location. DCR says its shops follow manufacturer repair procedures and training requirements tied to OEM certification.
at 254 Fluvanna Avenue. DCR Systems are one of the most
advanced collision repair facilities in the world.
A Company Ahead of Its Time
A third-generation autobody repairer, Giarrizzo calls himself a “lifer” of which he has served over 40 years. He grew up outside Cleveland, learning in a business started by his grandfather; his father later expanded into collision repair in the 1960s. Over time, he said, the experience gave him a clear view of where repairs can go wrong—and what it would take to standardize quality.
Before launching DCR Systems, he grew his family’s business into JSI Collision Centers, expanding to four Ohio locations. The company was later sold to Sterling Auto Body Centers, where Giarrizzo served as vice president and chief operating officer. In that role, he oversaw operations across 10 states and helped transition 39 locations to a process-flow model—experience he drew on when he started DCR in 2004.
Giarrizzo’s connection to Chautauqua County also runs through family and community ties. His family has kept a summer home on Chautauqua Lake since the 1970s and, with friends Howie and Brenda Knipe, helped open Hogan’s Hut, a general store in Stow. Those relationships eventually led to an introduction to Tim Shults of the Shults Dealership Group. Giarrizzo and Shults first met at a Shults dealership in Pittsburgh and later discovered they had both attended St. Bonaventure University, living in the same dormitory hall several years apart—an overlap that helped spark a working relationship.
How the Model Works
DCR works with auto dealerships to develop and manage on-site collision repair operations, from facility design and staffing to training, claims support and software. The company reports certification relationships with more than 20 automakers, including Subaru, Toyota, Honda, Ford, GM, BMW, Genesis, Volkswagen and Lexus. In practice, that means repairs are performed using manufacturer procedures and repair documentation rather than a shop’s preferred methods.
DCR’s work is organized around four related lines of business:
- Operated stores: DCR-run facilities located on dealership campuses, including Jamestown.
- Licensed partner locations: independent shops using DCR’s systems and certification standards.
- Calibration Connection: a 2022 venture focused on calibration for advanced driver-assistance systems and other vehicle sensors.
- Collision Clarity: a proprietary software platform intended to document repairs and share that information across the repair and claims process.
Why OEM Certification and Process Matter
DCR says its facilities are designed around OEM requirements and a “lean” approach—an operating method that emphasizes standardized steps, visual management and reducing rework. In practical terms, the company uses set equipment packages, point-of-use tooling and defined workflows that connect front-office estimating with shop-floor production. The goal, according to DCR, is a repeatable process with clearer expectations for parts, timelines and quality.
Giarrizzo also serves on the boards of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists and the Ohio Board of Motor Vehicle Repair. Boswell, a longtime finance executive, has been recognized by industry publications, including being named BodyShop BusinessExecutive of the Year in 2021. DCR says its support team averages more than 10 years of tenure, a figure the company points to as a stabilizing advantage in an industry with frequent workforce turnover.
What Drivers should Know after a Crash
After an accident, consumers can choose where their vehicle is repaired, and DCR encourages drivers to ask whether a shop is certified for their make and model. Manufacturer certification, the company argues, can help ensure technicians have access to current repair procedures, tooling and training requirements. Through its Collision Clarity portal, DCR also provides repair documentation that can be shared with customers and insurers.
Two decades after its founding, DCR Systems continues to expand a standardized collision repair model that is increasingly shaped by vehicle technology and manufacturer requirements. For Giarrizzo, the Jamestown presence is also personal—an extension of family ties to Chautauqua Lake that date back more than 50 years.
For more information: DCRsystems.com; CalibrationConnection.com; ShultsAuto.com