The Craftsman Group, owner of Western Canada’s largest autobody repair chain Craftsman Collision, has appointed a uniquely qualified candidate to take charge of one of its family companies, equipment manufacturer Wedge Clamp Systems Inc. With credentials including Red Seal autobody repair certification, extensive real estate experience and certification, years of head office management and a recently earned MBA, Mark Greenberg bring all of these experiences to his new position as Wedge Clamp vice president.
“I’m very excited about the opportunities for Wedge Clamp,” said Greenberg, who began his career as an autobody repair technician with Craftsman, then left to become a realtor – only to return to Craftsman 10 years later to open and manage two locations before being promoted to head office as general manager of business development.
“We have strong market penetration in Canada, but in the U.S. and the rest of the world, we’ve really just scratched the surface,” he says. “It’s wide open.”
Greenberg replaces longtime Wedge Clamp employee and current Chief Operating Officer (COO) Rodica Matei, who in February takes over as CEO of Robbox, a computerized hand tool company created by her inventor husband.
“I’m happy the company is going to be in good hands,” said Matei, who joined Wedge Clamp in 1998 as senior buyer/warehouse manager, and as COO managed to triple the company’s sales in four years.
“It’s my baby – they have to take care of it,” she said. “With our recent inroads into Spain, Israel, Egypt and Mexico, and new products coming on board, Mark will be hitting the ground running.”
“I want to see Wedge Clamp fully embraced by the U.S. industry,” says Bill Hatswell, founder and owner of the Craftsman Group of Companies. “I want it to become a household name in the industry. The Wedge Clamp system is by far the best for body and frame repairs – which is why I bought the company. All our shops have it, and when we buy shops that don’t have Wedge Clamp and put it in, the staff instantly love it because they can do their jobs faster and more easily.”
Along with manufacturing its innovative anchoring, pulling and measuring system, Wedge Clamp is a global distributor of the Stat-Gun anti-static air gun, the nitrogen-based NitroHeat spraypaint system, the NitroWeld plastic welding system, and the Eclipse laser frame straightening system.
Wedge Clamp Systems Inc. is based in Richmond, BC, with additional offices in China and the United States. The Craftsman Group owns and operates more than 40 Craftsman Collision locations in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and California, as well as luxury collision repair chains Distinctive Autoworks and MB Autoworks, and real estate development firm Craftsman Ventures.
