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Paul Amato, who owns Amato's Auto Body in San Diego, will be the first one to tell you that he's totally nuts. When he spoke recently on shop efficiency at the San Diego chapter of the California Autobody Association monthly members meeting, Amato prefaced his presentation by saying, "I might offend some people, so be prepared."

Equipped with shop efficiency tips and a few gag props, Amato opened his presentation by handing out some nuts. "I'm really nuts--so here's some nuts," said Amato. He broke out a pink elephant nutcracker that he introduced at the beginning of the night as the anti-trust rules were read, calling it 'the elephant in the room.' He used the elephant to crack the nuts that represented topics like aftermarket parts and DRPs, but continued to reiterate, "we can't talk about it," CRACK, "but we can't talk about it."

In addition to providing over thirty-five years of collision industry experience, CollisionMax has eleven locations, seven in Southern New Jersey and four in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Yet, they do not credit their convenient locations or years of professional experience for their success. Their formula for success is proudly displayed on the company’s website: “We’re collision experts, but we never forget our most important job is keeping customers happy and informed.”

by Ed Attanasio

Imagine the film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” but with the title: “Body Shop Owners Go to Sacramento.”

ASCCA/CAA’s Joint Legislative Day on April 18 at the State Capitol did not have the same cast as the 1939 classic film, but the storyline seems familiar: The leading mechanical and collision repairers in the state convene to take on the powers-that-be and provide feedback about proposed legislation potentially impacting their businesses. “This is the one opportunity every year when we can meet with our political representatives en masse and get our message out there,” ASCCA President Tracy Renee said.

As the discussion of how and whether the industry should develop some sort of formalized collision repair standards continues, Paul Gange brings a somewhat unique perspective on the topic.

Gange is the president and chief operating officer of Fix Auto USA, which has 48 franchise locations in four U.S. states, as well as 151 shops around the country using the company’s services as part of a more loosely-knit “network.”

But Fix Auto also has a similar organization in the United Kingdom, with 68 franchises in a market that has implemented a repair standards program that is most often mentioned as a potential model for one in the United States.

To read or download this article as a PDF with photos click HERE

ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a Minnesota-based damaged vehicle repair company and industry leader announced today the acquisition of Bradshaw Collision Repair Centers in the Nashville, Tennessee area.

The deal secures ABRA’s foothold in the Tennessee market and increases the total number of ABRA repair centers nationwide to 122 in 12 states.

President and Chief Executive Officer Duane Rouse said, “Bradshaw Collision has a rich history of auto body repair in the Nashville area. We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to continue on the path forged by such a well respected and successful entrepreneur.”

Bradshaw Collision’s reputation for excellence, quality and professionalism has been recognized in the Tennessee area since 1967. “Not only does this acquisition align with our growth strategy,” Rouse said, “It reinforces ABRA’s footprint in the region and furthers our mission of becoming the leading auto body and glass company in America.”

ABRA Auto Body & Glass prides itself on low cycle times. “We utilize an operational excellence philosophy that significantly improves our operating metrics and gives us a competitive edge,” said Scott Krohn, Executive Vice President of Operations. “It’s instrumental in achieving efficiency and productivity. ABRA consistently rates high in customer satisfaction because of the superior processes we have in place.”

ABRA’s five newly acquired state-of-the-art repair centers are conveniently located in Nashville, Gallatin, Madison, Franklin, and Murfreesboro. All centers employ highly trained and skilled body shop technicians.

The company says it is continuing its aggressive national growth plans and actively seeking opportunities to acquire additional repair centers in the region.

In a tough industry full of trials and tribulations, body shop owners are very susceptible to stress and burnout. If they’re not encountering issues with customers, insurance companies, vendors and/or employees, they have to worry about things like their cycle times and car count. It’s a never-ending struggle just to earn a buck and make their payroll every week in this ever-changing business.

To read or download this article as a PDF with photos click HERE

And that’s why it was refreshing when the East Bay California Autobody Association (EB-CAA) Chapter featured an inspirational speaker at its monthly meeting held on March 20th at Scott’s Seafood restaurant in Walnut, Creek, Calif. Sponsors for the evening were LKQ, Diamond Standard Class AAA Safety Parts and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Best-selling author/motivational speaker Mike Robbins was the featured guest and presenter of the evening. His first book, Focus on the Good Stuff, reached #4 on the Amazon bestseller list, and his latest book, Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken, reached #17 on the Amazon bestseller list Robbins and his work have been featured on ABC News, the Oprah radio network, in Forbes, Fast Company, and the Washington Post, and on over 500 radio and TV shows in North America.  He is also a regular contributor to Oprah.com and the Huffington Post.