Navesink Auto Body: A New Business Born From Experience

by Alana Quartuccio

Sometimes, the right pieces just fit together. 

Navesink Auto Body may have only recently opened its doors, but the experience behind those doors spans decades. In fact, the partnership of its owners, Pamela Marrazzo and Eric Richmond, was born right in the very same building they operate from. Although each started their collision repair path for different reasons, it was the former business they worked at – Tony D’s Auto Body – that brought them together and led to their eventual business partnership. 

While working together over the years, they talked about partnering in their own business. When the owner and former business namesake of Tony D’s – Anthony “Tony” Della Pietro – passed away in July 2024, it set them on a path to realize their own vision. In December 2024, that vision became reality. 

“We had talked about starting our own business for a few years,” says Marrazzo. “I’m big on customer service, and Eric is focused on the details and perfection of the business. We thought we’d make a really good team. It was bittersweet, but we had always wanted to open our business at the same location.”

Unable to renew the previous owner’s business license, they started their own chapter with a new name – Navesink Auto Body – inspired by the nearby town where Richmond grew up.

Richmond and Marrazzo found their way into the collision repair field in very different ways. For Richmond, working with cars was always something he wanted to do but for Marrazzo, it all started with an opportunity to get back on her feet.

“I was always a fan of cars,” shares Richmond of how his 20-plus year career began. “During high school, I went to vocational school for auto body. In my junior year, I entered the school work program where they place you in a shop, and Tony D’s Auto Body is where I happened to be placed. I worked at the shop for three years and then left for two years to do home improvement work. It didn’t work out, so I returned to this body shop and I’ve been here ever since.” 

Marrazzo’s story is quite the opposite. 

“I worked for a hair salon for many years. When I got pregnant with my fourth child, I made the decision to become a stay-at-home mom and focused on my family for the next 13 years.” 

When she sought to re-enter the workforce, she was faced with challenges finding work. A friend told her that Tony D’s was looking for office help, and she got hired right away. 

“I didn’t even know the difference between a tire and wheel,” she laughs while recalling her start in the industry nine years ago. “Eric was so patient with me, teaching me everything so I would understand the process more and more.”

Starting his own body shop business was a longtime goal for Richmond. “Back in my senior year of high school, they made us write a letter to our future selves. I wrote then that I wanted to get married and to have a child – both of which I eventually did – and also to own my own body shop. Now, that goal has finally come to fruition. It was always a dream.”

Today, “It’s all about customer service,” shares Marrazzo. “When people come just after having an accident with the tow truck, they are shaken up. I calm them down and get them in a rental. They always come back happier. When someone goes through a tough situation like that and you help them through it, I think that’s an important part of it.” 

Richmond agrees. “Customer service is big for us. We treat our customers like we’ve known them for years. We also try to be pretty reasonable with our pricing and be really fair with our customers so they keep coming back. So, it’s a combination of treating them properly and keeping a good line of communication open with them when their car is here. That’s our goal.”

Like most shops, one of the biggest challenges Navesink Auto Body faces is dealing with insurers. “Ever since COVID, no insurer wants to come out anymore,” laments Marrazzo. “You need that face-to-face and one-on-one interaction. They’ve also cut back on procedures like cleaning vehicles.”

“They put it back on the shop and tell us ‘it’s part of doing business,’” Richmond adds. 

Inflation goes up for everyone, but the insurers seem to be “paying less and less all the time,” Marrazzo states. 

Staying up to date with training and being involved with the industry are two things the Navesink Auto Body team takes seriously. 

Richmond reports, “The shop is an I-CAR Gold Class repair facility. They offer in-person and virtual training, and we take advantage of both to maintain our status.” He has received I-CAR training in estimating, welding, high strength steel repair and aluminum. “You name it, we’ve taken classes on it,” he says. The shop’s commitment to training also involves Marrazzo and their full-time painter. 

Marrazzo and Richmond also believe very strongly in the value of their AASP/NJ membership. They were involved with the association as part of the previous business, and once they launched the new shop, signing up was one of the first things they did. 

“I think I’d be lost without
AASP/NJ over the years,” professes Marrazzo. “They give us so much help. I can call Charlie Bryant, and he’ll send me paperwork I can use as support when insurance companies deny claims.”

They also welcome the opportunity to attend the many training and networking events AASP/NJ hosts for its membership. “It’s nice to talk to other people in the industry and get opinions and outlooks from others,” she adds.

The current focus for the Navesink team involves upgrading equipment, hiring another technician and continuing business growth by way of word-of-mouth marketing, social media and involvement in the community. They’ve sponsored local car shows and advertised in their local church bulletin. 

Both believe there is a certain satisfaction that comes from helping customers that they likely would not experience if they weren’t in the auto body field. 

Richmond enjoys being able to work more directly with customers, which he was not able to do in his past shop manager role. He loves helping people, especially when he is able to ease a customer’s worry with the ability to inexpensively correct damage on something that isn’t a big repair. 

“It really feels good to help people out,” he says. “They will remember us the next time they have a problem with their car,” adds Marrazzo.  

Want more? Check out the July 2025 issue of New Jersey Automotive!