Grubb’s Bodyworks – A 69-Year Family Legacy, Now Driving Forward in St Leonards
Grubbs Bodyworks has been part of the Launceston community for more than six decades. Since 1956. Over that time, the business has grown, adapted, and changed with the region, but one thing has remained consistent: it has always been a family-run operation grounded in the belief that good work and steady relationships matter.
Established 67 years ago, Grubbs Bodyworks is now in its fourth generation of family ownership. That kind of continuity is uncommon in any industry, and particularly so in trades that rely on changing technology, evolving safety standards, and shifting economic conditions. For the family behind the business, longevity has not been about expansion for its own sake. Instead, it has come from doing work properly, looking after customers, and building a workplace that supports the next generation of tradespeople.
The business employs twelve people, including three apprentices who are currently learning their trade within the workshop. Apprenticeships have always been part of the way Grubbs Bodyworks operates. For a family business that has passed knowledge through generations, it feels natural to pass those skills beyond the family as well. Teaching someone how to repair a vehicle properly takes time and patience, but it also contributes to the long-term strength of the trade in the region.
Operating in Launceston means being part of a community where relationships are visible and long-standing. Customers often return year after year, sometimes across generations of their own families. A vehicle might come into the workshop after an accident, but the interaction around it often goes beyond the repair itself. Conversations about families, local events, and shared experiences form part of the daily rhythm of the workplace.
Over time, the business has also maintained a quiet approach to supporting charitable causes. While not every act of support is visible, the principle behind it is simple: when a community supports a local business for many years, it makes sense to give something back when possible. Contributions may take the form of donations to charitable efforts or support for causes connected to people in the region.
For a small to medium-sized local business, these decisions are rarely about public recognition. Instead, they reflect the understanding that local organisations play a role in the fabric of everyday life. Repairing vehicles, employing staff, training apprentices, and supporting charitable initiatives are all small parts of that broader role.
Remaining in business for more than sixty years has required resilience and adaptation. Technology in the automotive repair industry has changed dramatically since the early days of the workshop. New materials, electronics, and repair methods have reshaped how work is done. Through those changes, the family has continued to invest in equipment, skills, and people to ensure the workshop remains capable of serving the community.
For Grubbs Bodyworks, the idea of community is not something abstract. It is reflected in the people who work in the business, the customers who walk through the doors, and the organisations that benefit from small acts of support along the way. Being part of Launceston for multiple generations has created a sense of responsibility as well as belonging.
The workshop itself is not only a place where vehicles are repaired. It is also a place where trades are learned, where younger workers gain confidence in their skills, and where a family tradition continues to evolve.
In that sense, Grubbs Bodyworks represents something familiar in many regional communities: a local business that has become part of the landscape over time. Its contribution is not defined by any single action, but by decades of steady presence, employment, skill development, and community support.
Today, the business is proudly operated by brothers Joel and Dane Grubb, the third generation to take the wheel. Their father is their mentor and assists in the background. Under Joel and Dame’s direction, Grubb’s Bodyworks has combined traditional attention to detail with the latest collision-repair technology and processes. Their approach balances heritage with innovation — ensuring every customer receives the quality and care that have defined the Grubb name for nearly 70 years.
Heritage Timeline
1950s – The Beginning: The Grubb grandparents establish a small body repair shop in Launceston, quickly gaining a reputation for honest and quality workmanship.
1970s–1980s – Family Expansion: Their children take over the business, expand capacity, and modernise equipment to serve a growing customer base.
2000s – Passing the Torch: The next generation, Joel and Dane, begin working in the family business, learning the craft and earning their own loyal clients.
2023 – A New Era: Grubb’s Bodyworks moved into a brand-new facility at St Leonards.
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