By Amy Townsend
When a business lasts more than four decades in a small town, it becomes more than a business. It becomes part of our little town’s story. That was evident as friends, family, and neighbors gathered to celebrate both the ribbon-cutting for Turner Collision and the retirements of Bobby and Michael Wood.
Laughter and smiles filled the air. Hugs and handshakes were exchanged. There were even jokes that this might become the town’s newest coffee stop, even for those who don’t drink coffee, a fitting tribute to the conversations that have always happened inside those walls. And then just like that, the ribbon was cut. And just as quickly as one chapter officially opened, another gently closed.
However, before hanging their own sign in 1981, Bobby and Michael were learning the trade at RC Chevrolet. Those early years laid the groundwork for what would become something of their own. Over the next four decades, Wood’s Body Shop grew into a legacy built on skill, service, and trust.
As they step into retirement, Bobby and Michael do so with gratitude, knowing that hanging up a trade you’ve poured your blood, sweat, and tears into is bittersweet. A business like that becomes part of you. It shapes your days, your conversations, even your identity.
Some things, however, won’t change.
Bobby’s office chair will remain, not because it has to, but because it means something. A quiet reminder that honest work and taking care of your customers still matter.
Now the building carries a new name: Turner Collision.
Owner, Brayden Turner, who brings eight years of experience in the auto body industry, continues the tradition of family working side by side. Brayden’s brother, Hunter Turner, joins him, another set of brothers stepping into the same space where legacy was built. The Turner brothers don’t step into this new chapter alone. They have strong mentors only a phone call away. The Wood brothers have made it clear they’re happy to offer a word of wisdom, and maybe even lend a helping hand when needed.
In many ways, this brotherly bond will benefit both families. As one set transitions into a new era, the other steps into the quiet world of retirement, that season of “what do we do now?” They will likely lean on one another, finding new purpose as these chapters unfold.
From the Woods to the Turners, the torch has been passed, not just through paperwork, but through trust, experience, and respect.
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