Our Story
Olsen Auto Body & Collision was founded by Mark Olsen. He opened his shop at 1919 Humboldt Street in Bellingham, WA in November of 1981. The building was about a quarter of the size that it is today. Mark added on to the building in 1995 as the business grew and Olsen Auto Body became incorporated. The second and last addition to our building was in 1999 and we now operate in more than 16,000 square feet.
Mark passed away unexpectedly in May of 2002 leaving the business to his wife, Tonee. Tonee stayed involved and ran the business with long time manager, Dan Schindler. It was a challenging time, but Mark had built a strong and successful business. Olsen Auto Body continued to grow. Tonee sold the business to Dan in April of 2007.
Many of our employees were here when Mark Olsen was still running the shop. We all remember him fondly for his can-do attitude and great work ethic. Mark went above and beyond for all his customers. That “customer comes first” mentality is still the basis of all we do here today.
In 2013, Dan purchased Mt. Baker Auto Glass and moved the business into our building. The idea was to help provide better service to our customers by being able to offer glass replacement in house, instead of subletting that repair as we had previously. If you have any auto glass needs unrelated to a collision, you can contact Mt. Baker Auto Glass directly for a quote.
Our Approach
Customer service based, community minded, locally owned and operated, environmentally conscious. Olsen Auto Body is here to serve you. From the moment your vehicle is damaged, through the estimate the insurance claim, your rental car reservation and your vehicle’s repair. We are here to guide you through the process from start to finish.
Meet the Olsen Team
Dan Schindler
Owner
Dan started working for Mark at Olsen Auto Body in July of 1997 in the paint department. Mark moved him up to the front office just a few months later into the role of general manager and estimator. Dan purchased the business in April of 2007.
Darrel Cronk
General Manager
Darrel graduated from the Bellingham Technical College Collision Repair Program in 1992. He started working with us in March of 2002 as an estimator. Darrel is easy to talk to and great at explaining the estimate and repair process to all of his customers.
Brittany Queen
Front Desk
Brittany, a life-long Whatcom County resident, began working at Olsen Auto Body in November of 2014 and has been our customer service representative ever since. She will be the first person you see when you walk in the door, and likely be the person who answers the phone when you call. Brittany’s job is to help guide you through what follows after an accident. She can schedule your estimate, help you with your insurance claim, schedule your rental reservation and set up a date for your repair.