Ben Clymer’s The Body Shop Now in its 25th Year

Ben Clymer’s The Body Shop has been a fixture of the Inland Empire since 1990, when Ben Clymer Sr. established his first shop in Riverside. Since then, the company has gone on to open four more locations and incorporate the entire family into the operation.

It’s a long way from where Ben Sr. started out. “My father and his two older brothers founded Clymer’s Auto Body in Quakertown, Pennsylvania in 1972,” Ben Clymer Jr. said. “That was a long, long time ago. When my father decided to move to California in 1979, he went to work as a body man in Orange County and moved his way up.”

Eventually, the Clymers relocated to the Inland Empire and went back into business for themselves in 1990. Ben Sr.’s declaration became, “I’m going to bet on myself” – a mantra his son continues to hold onto today.

Ben Sr.’s wife Debbie, Ben Jr. and his brother Brett all came on board right away. While Debbie answered phones and did bookkeeping, the two boys did whatever tasks their parents gave them. “We were allowed to sweep the floors and clean the toilets until we could prove we couldn’t mess that up,” Clymer said. As they learned more, the two younger Clymers worked their way up to estimations and body work.

New locations would open over the years, starting with Moreno Valley in 2002 and Yucaipa in 2003. Locations in Palm Desert and Pomona would follow. Today, Ben Clymer’s The Body Shop employs 85 people between its five locations. “We say we employ 85 families, though,” Clymer said, “because we really are responsible for that family’s livelihood. That’s how we’ve always chosen to look at it.” The Clymer family remains completely immersed in day-to-day operations, with Ben, Brett and their uncle Bryan each managing specific locations.

All Ben Clymer’s locations offer body work services that range from complete collision repair to windshield replacement, paintless dent removal and paintless dent repair. “Think of it as a doctor’s office,” Ben Jr. said. “We’re not plastic surgeons for vehicles, but we’re a doctor’s office for vehicles whose bodies need repair.”

The healthcare similarities don’t end there. “Our industry is becoming more regulated, very insurance driven. Just like the medical industry has HMOs, our industry has DRP or direct repair programs.” These insurance company referrals are the backbone of the auto body industry, and Ben Clymer’s The Body Shop is grateful for the support of local insurance companies. “We see the insurance companies as partners,” Clymer. said. “We have a fantastic partnership with AAA. They’ve been our biggest advocate on our benevolence program.”

The Benevolence Car Giveaway has been an annual event at all Ben Clymer’s locations for the past eight years. The winner is chosen by the staff of the shop awarding the vehicle; the Clymer family asks reputable community assistance organizations for a list of 10 candidates, then selects two nominees to present to the staff and asks them to select a winner. “The program is about finding a family in need that has not given up on life, but strived hard to improve their circumstances,” Clymer said. “Not a hand out, but a hand up. If they’re on welfare as their sole means of income, they’re not eligible – but if they’ve worked their way off of welfare and are now holding a job, then they’re taking the steps to improve their situation.” He believes that many times, a working vehicle is what people need to start making real strides and that’s what the company’s giveaway is designed to do. “Most of our winners have gone on to find better employment,” Clymer said. The next giveaway will be in Moreno Valley on September 10; it will be the company’s 16th car giveaway. Two more are scheduled for this year, concluding with one in Riverside on November 12. “The winner has to be in the same city the shop is located in,” Clymer said. “The communities that trust us with their business are what make our families successful.”

Ben Clymer’s The Body Shop is now in its 25th year, and plans to continue opening new locations in the Inland Empire. “There aren’t a lot of family owned body shops anymore,” Clymer said. “They’re all the mega corporations.” The company is happy to work with clients’ insurance companies and also accepts cash payments.

“We’ve strived to take the hassle out of the collision repair process,” Clymer said. “We’re all too happy to help customers with their needs.”