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Ten large independent collision repairers in Southern
California, including eight in San Diego County, have joined the FIX
Auto network. The ten companies operate a total of fourteen shops, nine
in San Diego County and five in Los Angeles County.
FIX USA President Erick Bickett
announced the latest expansion - what some industry observers called a
'coup' for FIX - on August 30 in San Diego. "This brings us to 34 U.S.
locations where insurers and vehicle owners can expect and receive
unconditional customer service and superb repair quality at a
competitive cost. We are extremely proud that repairers of this caliber
have chosen to affiliate with Fix Auto." Bickett said that with these
new members the annual sales for the FIX USA network would be
approximately $90 million. FIX Auto also operates in Canada, and gives
its combined North American sales as $170 million.
The new Fix Auto members in San Diego county are Balboa Auto Body in San Diego, Beardsley Auto Body in San Diego, Carter Collision Service in Santee, Drew Ford Collision in La Mesa, Greenwald's Auto Body & Frameworks in National City and Chula Vista, Henson & Sons in Escondido, Tag Collision Center in San Marcos, and Thearle's Auto Werks in Santee.
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| Bickett |
In Los Angeles County, the new network members are Marina Auto Body in Marina del Rey and the four locations of Pride Collision Centers in Valencia, Van Nuys, Canyon Country and Sherman Oaks.
In
a prepared press statement, FIX said, "Unlike either the conventional
consolidators or the go-it-alone isolated independent, the Fix Auto
strategy combines the effectiveness of consistent marketing,
centralized claims management functions and information technology,
with the strength and drive of the independent, owner-operated
repairer. The Fix affiliates meet regularly to compare and develop best
practices to improve productivity and responsiveness to insurers'
needs."
Asked
what drives successful independents to join FIX, Bickett replied,
"There's a whole bunch of stuff going on in the industry. Things are
changing and even the biggest independent will find it difficult going
it alone. Insurers want to establish more corporate relationships
because it's easier for them. What's happening (in our industry) now is
the same thing that happened to doctors groups in the early 1980's."
Bickett was referring to the movement of independent physicians into
provider groups to serve the requirements of HMOs.
Laura
Delmege, whose San Diego- based Chelsea Management Company provides
consulting services to collision repairers, will act as executive
director to the San Diego FIX members as they make the transition to
the FIX network, according to Dan Greenwald, owner of the two-location
Greenwald's Auto Body & Frameworks. Greenwald called Delmege "a
very talented asset to the industry" and noted that she and her
father/partner Dale Delmege, former chairman of the Collision Industry
Conference, were instrumental in bringing the diverse group of San
Diego entrepreneurs together with the FIX organization. "It was quite a
job, bringing us all together. Think about it. If you get a group of
business owners together, they'll argue over whose car to take to
lunch," laughed Greenwald.
Asked
if the recent entry by consolidator Caliber Collision Centers into San
Diego County had anything to do with his decision to join forces with
FIX, Greenwald said, "The impact of consolidators was certainly a
factor in our decision, but the most important factor is that FIX has
tools that are revolutionary. They enable us to offer services to
insurance companies such as a central call center for all of Southern
California, a single point of contact, CSI reports, and then we owners
get the single best set of "gauges" (management data) to operate our
businesses by."
Most
importantly to Greenwald, "FIX leaves the business in the control of
the owner." For example, while the FIX network may arrange for a
significant discount on the DuPont paint that most of the new San Diego
members spray, the shops that don't spray DuPont are not required to
switch brands. "We each own our own shops. We each can do what's best
for us," said Greenwald.
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