New South O.C. Maaco to Hold Grand Opening

A belated grand opening for Orange Avenue auto body shop Maaco Collision Repair and Auto Painting is scheduled for Saturday.

The public is invited to a grand-opening celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the facility, at 23141 Orange Ave. There will be free Mexican food and prizes, as well as a car show featuring classic cars. There will also be a drawing for a free paint job, said owner Peter Capdevielle.

Capdevielle, a longtime area resident, says the facility is the only Maaco in South Orange County and handles small- and large-vehicle repair, major collision repair and insurance claims.

The company is the largest body shop in the country, with 475 independently run franchises nationwide.

Customers who come by during the celebration will get a 15 percent discount on body labor. 

Capdevielle ran his own body shop, Advanced Auto Body, in the same location for about seven years before converting it into a Maaco franchise.

“We intend to be a good community partner,” Capdevielle said. He plans to participate in Maaco's "Keep It Clean" car wash fundraising campaign with a local high school later in the year.

According to Maaco vice president of marketing, Warren Stoll, “Lake Forest is going to be one of the pilot shops for [the] initiative." 

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting took place this morning, hosted by the .

The 475 Maaco centers nationwide repair and paint nearly 600,000 vehicles annually, according to the Pennsylvania-based company.