Today we’d like to introduce you to David Shirley.
Hi David, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born the oldest child to two deaf parents. My father worked as a mechanic for VW and later operated a body shop out of our backyard after a work injury forced him into disability. My mother was an engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers in Fort Worth.
From the age of five, I served as the primary translator for my parents, helping them navigate every aspect of adult life, from the grocery store to utility companies and banks. I grew up very fast as a result.
When I was 13, I bought my first car from mowing lawns. My father and I worked on it until I received my hardship driver’s license at 15. At that time, my parents were divorcing, and I felt school was no longer the right path for me. At 16, my mother co-signed an apartment, and I started working full-time at Keystone Bodyshop in Fort Worth. I started as a detailer/porter and was promoted to shop foreman within a year. I remained there for two years until Toyota of Irving recruited me.
I joined Toyota of Irving in 1991, starting in the parts department to learn the operating and parts systems before moving to the body shop. Within six months, I was managing all parts distribution for the body shop. By 1993, I advanced to the body shop office as an estimator, building my reputation with local adjusters, clients, and businesses in Irving.
In 1999, I was promoted to body shop manager of the 29,000-square-foot collision repair shop. I was highlighted in Autobody News in June 2000 as one of the youngest body shop managers at age 29, and was also recognized in Automotive Body Repair News (ABRN) in December 2000.
In 2001, Toyota launched its Collision Center Certified Program, and I became the first Master Toyota Certified Manager in the United States. The Dallas Morning News wrote an article about our certification on January 19, 2002.
In 2012, I accepted a role with the Van Tuyl organization (now Berkshire Hathaway Automotive Group) to open a new 50,000-square-foot collision center at Vandergriff Toyota in Arlington. After 23 years at Toyota of Irving, I felt this was the necessary next step in my career. When I opened Vandergriff Collision Center, 23 employees from Toyota of Irving followed me. After a year of growing the center from $0 to $900k a month in sales, I was unexpectedly fired with no severance. It was my first time being fired from a corporate atmosphere, and I was in shock.
After a few months of discussing my next steps with my wife, I decided not to work for anyone else and to open my own shop. With only $2,000 in my account, I found an investor—my former head painter, who withdrew funds from his 401k—to help me lease my first building, the former Goodson Acura Collision Repair shop.
I settled on the name JDS Collision, using my initials: James David Shirley. Starting a collision repair center without affiliation to a dealership or manufacturer was tough, but we achieved $3.2M in sales the first year, $4.8M the second, and $5.5M the third.
After my first five-year lease expired, I started looking for a new location in 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic began. I found an abandoned building at 222 W Airport Fwy, which we purchased and converted into our current facility. Our best year was 2023, with $7.5M in sales.
Unfortunately, the industry has seen a downturn in repairable vehicles over the last 12 months. Insurance premiums have increased, leading to higher deductibles, and companies are totaling more vehicles due to the high cost and complexity of repairs on modern vehicles (sensors, components, etc.). This has caused industry-wide repair volumes to decrease by 30-40%. 2025 marks our 10th anniversary, and we plan to remain a strong presence in the community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Besides the initial hurdle of opening during COVID, our biggest challenges are the economic and insurance pressures affecting the industry. When insurance premiums increase, deductibles are often raised to keep the premium affordable. If a person struggles to afford the premium, they often cannot afford deductibles as high as $2,500, which we are seeing today.
Additionally, modern vehicles are equipped with expensive sensors and components, making the repair or replacement costs often exceed the vehicle’s value, leading to more vehicles being totaled. All of this translates to a reduced volume of vehicles available for repair across the industry.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I opened JDS Collision not just to seek profit, but to provide my employees and myself with a stable work environment, above-industry pay, and exceptional benefits. This includes covering 100% of medical and dental premiums for my employees, with no co-pays or deductibles. Our profits are reinvested into maintaining this high standard for our team.
I have employees who have been with me for over 20 years. We operate as a family, striving to treat our clients and each other with respect, which is what we always felt was right.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
The best part of Irving is its diversity and strong cultural mix. The city is actively working to restore its original appeal through cleaning and landscaping of common areas. The entertainment sector in Las Colinas, especially the Toyota Music Factory, has also helped replace the economic revenue once generated by the old Dallas Cowboys stadium.
My previous concern was the homeless population. It was quite visible in 2020, but with the help of local churches and community efforts, groups have emerged to house the homeless and encourage job acquisition. Christ Church even used our old shop location as a temporary homeless shelter, which made our move to a new location in 2020 much easier.
Pricing:
- We offer 6-month, no-interest financing for deductibles and/or repairs.
Contact Info:
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