Winning on Purpose

CHAPTER 1

Lead with Love

The Unbeatable Purpose

When Steve Grimshaw joined Caliber Collision as CEO in 2009, that chain of sixty-eight auto body shops operated in only two states. By early 2020 it had expanded across the country to more than twelve hundred locations, and its revenues had rocketed from $284 million to almost $5 billion, making it far and away the US industry leader.

Then in March 2020, the black swan known as the Covid-19 pandemic flew into town, causing cars to sit parked in garages and driveways—where, of course, they tend to get into far fewer collisions. Industry revenues plummeted 55 percent, and many competitors shuttered locations to remain solvent. Caliber decided to sail directly into this headwind. It kept every one ...