Mesrop Khachikyan: From Los Angeles to Las Vegas
Mesrop Khachikyan learned the collision repair trade in his family’s shop in Los Angeles, where the Khachikyan family established their first auto body operation in 1987. The business ran in LA for fourteen years before the family made the decision to relocate to Las Vegas in 2001, drawn by the same combination of lower overhead and a growing population that pulled thousands of small-business owners eastward across the Mojave during that era. Hi Star Auto Center opened on West Hacienda Avenue and has operated from the same location since — a continuity that matters in an industry where shop turnover is high and customers often judge reliability by how long a business has stayed in one place.
The shop at 4881 West Hacienda Avenue, Suite 4, handles the full range of auto body and mechanical repair — collision work, paint and refinishing, frame straightening, dent repair, and general mechanical service. Hi Star is BBB accredited and works with insurance companies on claims-based repairs, a process that requires its own layer of documentation, estimating, and negotiation expertise beyond the physical repair work. The Khachikyan family has kept the operation small enough to maintain direct oversight of every vehicle that comes through the bay, a decision that limits volume but protects the quality standards that drive their repeat-customer base. The shop was featured on News 3 Las Vegas in a segment examining how tariffs on imported auto parts affect local repair businesses — a story that highlighted the cost pressures independent shops absorb before they ever reach the customer’s invoice.
Hi Star Auto Center in the Las Vegas Valley
The Las Vegas auto body market splits into two worlds: large multi-location chains that process high volumes on tight insurance margins, and independent family shops that compete on craftsmanship and personal service. Hi Star Auto Center has occupied the independent side of that divide since 2001, serving the west Las Vegas corridor from its Hacienda Avenue location near the intersection with Decatur Boulevard. The shop’s longevity — over two decades at the same address — is itself a credential in a trade where fly-by-night operations open and close with regularity. For vehicle owners in the Spring Valley, west Las Vegas, and southwest valley zip codes, Hi Star represents the kind of shop where the owner inspects the work, knows the customer by name, and stands behind the repair long after the insurance check has cleared.
- Owner
- Mesrop Khachikyan
- Founded
- 1987 (Las Vegas location 2001)
- Address
- 4881 W Hacienda Ave, Ste 4, Las Vegas, NV 89118
- Phone
- (702) 432-8686
- Website
- histar702.com