Owner / Manager Tracey Richards
Geoff Richards Panel Beating, NSW
In regional collision repair, reputation is everything. And in Dubbo, Geoff Richards Panel Beating’s (GRPB) reputation has been carefully built and steadily strengthened under the leadership of Tracey Richards and her husband Todd.
Tracey has overseen the day-to-day operations of GRPB, balancing the books, managing staff, coordinating workflow and keeping customers informed for many years. She’s hands-on in the workshop and actually operates out of the parts department which she feel is where efficiencies and better profits can be mined. From here she is liaising with suppliers, organising parts, reconciling payroll and ensuring every repair meets the standards the business is known for.
But what sets Tracey apart isn’t just that she can do it all. It’s that she does it with purpose. GRPB isn’t just a repairer in Dubbo — it’s part of the community fabric. Returning customers are the backbone of the business, and Tracey takes that personally. Delivering service that keeps people coming back isn’t a KPI for her; it’s a responsibility.
She has also made a conscious effort to elevate the perception of the industry. As an I-CAR Platinum professional and now a member of the ACIA board and a Paint & Panel Awards judge, Tracey’s influence extends beyond her workshop walls. She is actively involved in raising standards, advocating for better training and ensuring rural repairers have a voice in national conversations through her association with MTA NSW.
Under her leadership, GRPB regularly opens its doors to organisations like NASCA and the Clontarf Foundation, offering tours and hands-on exposure to young people who may never have considered collision repair as a career. The business sponsors local sporting clubs and supports community initiatives, reinforcing the idea that a successful repair shop should give back.
Tracey strikes balance between operational discipline and cultural leadership. Year-on-year performance is important — and GRPB delivers — but so is creating a workplace where people want to stay, grow and contribute.
Running a regional business brings its own pressures: talent shortages, parts logistics, insurer relationships and the constant challenge of keeping pace with technical change. Yet Tracey has modernised processes while maintaining the personal, family-business feel that customers value.
There’s no grandstanding here. No dramatic reinventions. Just consistent, steady leadership combined with a warm and welcoming personality that has strengthened the business and its standing in the region.
What made Tracey a clear winner in this category was impact. Not noise, not scale — impact. On her team, on her customers and on the wider industry.
In a sector that is increasingly technical and competitive, she proves that strong fundamentals, community commitment and professional standards can coexist — and thrive — outside the metro bubble.