Ed. Note: The following content was provided by Pattersons Collision Center who is a client of KHTS AM-1220.

Staff from the family owned and operated repair facility Pattersons Collision Center are celebrating 14 years at their Valencia location next month.

Body shop staff specialize in insurance collision repairs and claims handling while striving to provide an individualized experience for every customer in a family atmosphere.

“We are the only major body shop in Santa Clarita that is family owned and operated,” said Gordon Schaffner, the center’s general manager. “Many shops are now multi-store facilities, and we’re really one of the few that are independently owned and operated.”

Schaffner is joined by his daughter, brother and facility owner Greg Patterson and their mother Sharon Schaffner in the daily operations of the facility, he said.

Another unique feature of the center is a deductible assistance program, which offers payment plans to customers who may be struggling to pay their insurance deductible after a collision.

“Back when the economy started to take a hit a few years ago, we noticed that a lot of people had difficulty– it was a matter between paying their bills and getting their car fixed, and we didn’t want them to have to make that choice,” Schaffner said.

“One of the first things people do when the economy goes downhill is raise their deductibles in order to reduce their premium… We wanted people to be able to still get their repairs done on their vehicle without completely breaking their bank accounts.”

The center is also the only repair facility in the Santa Clarita Valley to be officially recognized for its environmental responsibility by the Bureau of Automotive and the Department of Toxic Substances Control.

They first received recognition as a Green Station in 2010 and maintained their status up until the program was discontinued by the state due to lack of funding earlier this year.

For more information about Pattersons Collision Center, visit their website.