Ben Thomas
Editor
Ben Thomas has been in the Collision Repair Industry since 1984 when he started his panelbeating apprenticeship in Hawera.
In 1990, Ben started Ben Thomas Panelbeating, which he and his wife Deb still own and operate, along with the help of their excellent staff. The same applies to their second shop in Stratford, which they added in 2017.
Ben has been involved with the New Zealand Collision Repair Association for a long time. He has held many roles and has always been keen to help the industry. He has been on the Manawatu/Whanganui/Taranaki branch committee since 1994 and was branch chairman from 2021 to 2023. He was also the area’s national executive representative for nine years.
Additionally, Ben’s time helping I-CAR New Zealand as an instructor and local welding tester is added to these roles.
Ben enjoyed the learning curve of taking over the editor role from Rex Crowther in August 2023. He is passionate about meeting new people and sharing their stories. Gathering, writing, and sharing information about improving a business is a constant goal.
Outside of PanelTalk, Ben enjoys family time, acting in local theatre, and has a couple of classic Holdens.
