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Old-School Values. New-School Technology.

Two generations of faith, craftsmanship, and innovation-repairing vehicles the right way since 1998

Our Story

Our Story

Some companies begin with investors. Some begin with opportunity.

Ours began with faith.



In 1978, John Wayne "JW" and Becky Prejean began their life together with a dream. They didn't own a body shop. They didn't even own a building. What they did have was a deep belief that one day, through hard work and God's provision, they would build something of their own.
That first year of marriage, they invested their income tax refund in two simple purchases-a Champion air compressor and a Binks spray gun. They had nowhere to use them, so they stored them away, believing the day would come when those tools would become the foundation of their future.

While working in the oilfield, JW began collecting discarded lumber that other companies considered worthless. Becky and their family spent countless hours pulling nails from old pallets, salvaging every piece of wood they could. Board by board, nail by nail, they built a humble 30-by-30-foot shop with their own hands.

Years later, after spending nearly two decades learning the collision repair industry at Kenneth's Body & Paint Shop, JW and Becky finally took the leap of faith.

On April 1, 1998, John Wayne's Body & Paint Shop officially opened its doors.

The office operated from their living room. Every estimate was handwritten. Every dollar mattered. To make their dream possible, they cashed in their life insurance policies and invested everything they had into the business.

They didn't build a company overnight.

They built it customer by customer, repair by repair, year after year.
As the business grew, so did its reputation. New employees joined the family, additional buildings were added, and the company weathered challenges that would have caused many businesses to close. Through every season, one principle remained constant:

Keep moving forward.

Carrying the Legacy Forward

Although Jake Prejean grew up around the business, he never planned to make collision repair his career.

After graduating from Carencro High School, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, proudly serving his country, including a tour in Okinawa, Japan. While stationed overseas, he received the exciting news that his father was finally opening the family body shop.

When Jake returned home after receiving an honorable discharge in 2001, his goal was to become a Louisiana State Trooper. During the lengthy hiring process, he worked alongside his father, believing it would only be temporary.

Then life took an unexpected turn.

After completing the hiring process, his job offer was unexpectedly withdrawn. What initially felt like disappointment eventually became something much greater.

Looking back, Jake believes God was gently redirecting his path.

Over the next twenty years, he became an accomplished body technician, helping repair thousands of vehicles while raising six children with his wife, Casey. During those years, he developed a passion not only for repairing vehicles correctly, but for leading people, building teams, and constantly improving the customer experience.

In 2020, John Wayne and Becky approached Jake and Casey about purchasing the business.
It wasn't something they had expected.

The timing was uncertain. The world was navigating the challenges of COVID-19, and while Jake understood collision repair, he openly admits he still had much to learn about running a business.

But with faith, prayer, and the support of their family, they stepped forward.

On October 16, 2020, Jake and Casey officially became the next generation of owners.

Building on the Foundation

Since taking ownership, Jake and Casey have never viewed themselves as replacing the previous generation.

Instead, they see themselves as stewards of the legacy John Wayne and Becky entrusted to them.

Together with an exceptional leadership team and incredible employees, they've expanded the company's facilities, invested in cutting-edge repair technology, embraced OEM repair procedures, advanced diagnostics, scanning and calibration equipment, and built modern systems designed to ensure every repair is completed safely and correctly.

Yet technology has never become the focus.

People have.

Jake often says that every employee represents a family depending on the success of the business. That responsibility drives every decision the leadership team makes.

Rather than trying to have all the answers, Jake and Casey intentionally surround themselves with talented people who challenge each other to improve every day. They believe leadership is about developing others, creating opportunities, and building an organization that will continue serving the community for generations to come.

Their vision is simple:

To build a disciplined, profitable, multi-location, generational automotive services organization rooted in old-school values and driven by modern systems-where people thrive, chaos is replaced by clarity, and the business becomes greater than any one individual.

What We Believe

Everything we do is guided by a simple mission:

Honor God. Serve our customers. Develop our people. Repair every vehicle the right way.

Our promise has never changed.

We combine old-school craftsmanship, honesty, and personal service with today's most advanced repair procedures and technology to provide every customer with confidence that their vehicle has been repaired safely and correctly.

Around here, customers aren't just repair orders.

They're neighbors.

Employees aren't just staff members.

They're family.

And every vehicle entrusted to us represents someone's safety, livelihood, and peace of mind.

The Story Continues

Today, John Wayne's Body & Paint Shop is larger than ever before, but our heart remains exactly the same as it was in 1978.

Faith.
Family.
Integrity.
Hard work.
Service.

What began with a young couple, a tax refund, a Champion air compressor, and a Binks spray gun has become something far greater than a collision repair business.

It has become a legacy.

And by God's grace, we're honored to continue writing the next chapter.