AASP/NJ Honors Peotter’s Auto Body and Spa as 2025 Body Shop of the Year

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

AASP/NJ’s goal is to create a community of collision and mechanical shops that collaboratively advance and elevate the repair industry, and year after year, during its Annual Meeting, the association recognizes an outstanding member business with the Stan Wilson/New Jersey Automotive Body Shop of the Year Award. 

Peotter’s Auto Body and Spa (Summit) was named the 2025 honoree for being a “unique shop that does amazing work,” as AASP/NJ President Ken Miller explained as he presented the award. Shop manager/CEO Larry Peotter feels “truly honored and grateful” for the recognition, but he is especially proud of his team for making it possible.

“This one’s for the Peotter’s family, the people who show up every day with pride in what they do and care in how they do it, those who’ve built this place piece by piece over the years. Earning ‘Body Shop of the Year’ means a lot, but sharing it with this team means everything! Awards recognize a shop, but it’s the people behind it who make it what it is, including the network of people who make what we do possible – our technicians, partners, vendors, clients and fellow shops who all share the same goal of doing right by the customer.”

The award serves as a meaningful tribute to his father, Timothy, who began the business back in 1985 alongside his mother, Joanne. Peotter was “born into the business; I’ve been here since I was in diapers, and I never wanted to leave.” Although his parents encouraged him to earn an accounting degree to ensure he would have opportunities outside the industry, he “always knew this is what I wanted to do. From a young age, my goal was to run the business some day. I never really dreamed about doing anything else.”

After college, Peotter returned to the family business, working alongside his parents and two sisters until he took the helm with Joanne in 2012 after his father passed away. His mother and siblings, Renee and Nicole, still work alongside him, but over the past decade, the shop’s staff has grown from 10 to 50 employees. “My father laid the groundwork for what we’ve become. Although our facility sits on a small piece of land, he designed the original building with three levels and a car elevator, and over the years, we’ve expanded to add additional buildings. Our unique layout has helped us become a one-stop shop for our customers’ automotive needs.”

In addition to offering full collision repairs, Peotter’s Body Shop and Spa performs light mechanical work, such as wheels, tires, alignments and brakes, plus the shop offers a full detailing spa to “elevate each vehicle’s aesthetics and protection.”

Although the state-of-the-art facility participates in direct repair programs for a couple small insurers, Peotter’s emphasis is on performing quality repairs that safely restore his customers’ vehicles to their pre-accident condition. By investing in the right tools, equipment and hands-on factory training, the shop has obtained certifications from several high-end vehicle manufacturers, including Tesla, Lucid, Rivian and Jaguar Land Rover. Peotter believes the shop’s certifications demonstrate its commitment to “investing in our employees and our company to ensure we stay ahead of the curve.”

The shop’s focus on electric vehicle (EV) certification is reflective of “the shift in the market as a lot of people turn to alternatively fueled vehicles,” and Peotter’s attention to these shifts also extends to his marketing efforts. “We’ve invested a lot of time and energy into developing our social media presence to stay relevant to our customers. These days, everyone – from toddlers to grandparents – has access to these platforms, and sharing posts about what we do each day has helped make us recognizable.”

Brand recognition is particularly important in the era of MSOs, which Peotter sees as one of the biggest challenges Garden State shops are facing. “A lot of MSOs have been coming into New Jersey and buying up the shops, so that takeover certainly presents its challenges.” However, he also has concerns with insurers’ tendency to group all shops into one bucket. “There are over 2,000 shops in this state, but a lot of them don’t invest in their people, training or equipment; they’re still repairing cars like it’s 1980. Yet, insurers want to compensate those guys the same as shops that have invested millions into properly equipping their facilities and training their team. I wish there was some sort of ranking system that recognized those efforts and which would encourage other shops to elevate their standards and catch up with what’s necessary in today’s collision repair world.”

Peotter strives to stay ahead through his involvement with AASP/NJ and has been attending the classes and training offered by the association since he was in his early 20s, yet the shop’s involvement goes even further back. “My parents have been members of AASP/NJ since the beginning because they recognized the value of keeping up with changes in the trade, and as technology advances more rapidly than ever before, it’s even more important to stay up-to-date on what’s going on. Membership allows us to stay relevant and maintain involvement in our community and our industry. A lot of shops are afraid to venture outside their own circle, and as a result, they get left behind because they’re unaware of what’s happening outside their own business.”

As a result of his passion for helping other shops and effecting meaningful change in the industry, Peotter was pleasantly surprised when the association recognized his facility as body shop of the year. “To be recognized by such a respected association is something we don’t take lightly. It really shows that our hard work and dedication to the industry is paying off, that we’re making a positive and lasting impact on this industry that I’ve devoted my life to. It inspires me to continue helping as many people as possible along the way.”

Despite his pride in being honored, Peotter insists, “Being part of an organization like AASP/NJ means more than just awards – it represents a community that pushes this industry forward. Their commitment to education, integrity and advocacy continues to raise the standard for collision repair professionals across New Jersey, and I’m proud to be a part of a group that continues to push for better craftsmanship, better service and better care for every vehicle and every person who walks through our doors.”

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