Sam is a self-made entrepreneur who instills a successful values-based culture in all of his business organizations, one being CARSTAR Canada, which is recognized as a Gold level 50 Best Managed Company.

Sam’s family immigrated from Italy to Canada in 1956 and from these humble roots they have built a very successful and admired family legacy. Known for his philanthropic work, Sam has worked to give back to his community and has been recognized by many organizations for his contributions.

Sam was the President and CEO of CARSTAR Automotive Canada. His vision for a country wide network of “Best in Class” Collision Centres was accomplished with over 220 Locations in 20 years. His success was built on gaining the trust and respect of the Insurance Industry and delivering a Value Proposition to his franchise partners. Previously he helped build a Hamilton based network of Collision Centres under Ontario Auto Collison where he started in business in 1967.

Sam sold CARSTAR Automotive Canada to Driven Brands on December 2, 2015.  Currently CARSTAR has 350 locations in Canada and 370 locations in the United States.  For a total CARSTAR Network of over 700 locations in North America.

Currently Sam is the President of Mercanti Management Inc. and with his wife, Roma Mercanti and daughter, Samantha Mercanti, they operate the Sam and Roma Mercanti Family Office and the Sam and Roma Mercanti Foundation in Downtown Hamilton, Ontario

Sam achieved this success by surrounding himself with a great team that shared his Vision, Mission and Values and continues to invest his talents in business, but first always comes his God, family, friends and the community.

Intuitive, Business Leader and Successful Entrepreneur with extensive experience as a company leader in Strategic Planning, Operational Excellence, Financial Success, Acquisitions and is a steadfast advocate for an organization staying true to its Vision, Mission and Values.

Sam wrote his first book, ‘RISEN from the Shop Floor, Lessons from an Entrepreneur’. RISEN tells the story of a young Italian kid who came to Canada with nothing, had a tough go, dropped out of high school, worked in his family’s body shop sweeping floors, and went on to revolutionize the car collision industry in Canada. Sam Mercanti’s commitment to helping others, working with integrity, and consistently providing top service makes him a true standout in the automotive world.