The California Autobody Association San Diego Chapter hosted a CARPAC fundraiser on March 26 with a special one-day class on ‘Estimating Solutions for Profit (ESP) Workshop’ with Michael Pellet, Regional Training Center Manager at Sherwin-Williams Dallas Automotive Training Center. The class qualified attendees for 12 AMI Credits and 1.75 I-CAR points.
The workshop raised $2,410 for CARPAC and 33 attendees from San Diego, El Centro and Coachella Valley attended the workshop.
CARPAC (California Autobody Repair Political Action Committee) is a political action committee (PAC) started by the California Autobody Association, which makes campaign contributions to statewide candidates for public office. CARPAC has a separate board of directors and gives money to help elect candidates who are concerned with the needs of the Autobody Industry. Many of the CAA chapters hold fundraisers to contribute to the CARPAC fund. These fundraisers provide a way that individual members can make a small contribution that will provide overall support for PAC.
Single Source Inc., a PPG platinum distributor, recently held the grand opening of its new store location in Riverside, CA.
Guy Gagne, Southern California regional manager for Single Source, said the new location will offer a mobile store strategy—which includes automated purchasing, inventory control and on-time deliveries—to address the operational needs of larger collision centers in the region.
The collision division of Greulich’s Automotive Services of Arizona was recently acquired by multi-shop operator Service King Collision Repair Centers.
Service King will take over the ownership and operation of Greulich’s three collision repair locations in Scottsdale, Mesa and Peoria, AZ. Greulich’s Automotive Service has been a provider of automotive services throughout the Phoenix metro area since 1977. The acquisition officially closed March 26.
Service King now operates more than 80 collision repair locations throughout Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.
“We are very excited to work with a company with as much history in Arizona as Greulich’s Automotive Services,” said Chris Anderson, market vice president for Service King. “Both companies share a similar commitment to continued innovation, quality repairs and customer satisfaction, which will make this partnership successful.”
Larry H. Miller Group Dealerships has acquired seven dealerships in Arizona for an undisclosed price. It is the privately-held group’s largest acquisition to date.
The newly acquired stores bring the Sandy, UT, group’s dealership total to 55 in seven western states. Four of the new stores are located in Tucson: Tucson Dodge Ram, Tucson Chrysler Jeep, Tucson Fiat and Tucson Volkswagen. The other three are in Avondale, a western suburb of Phoenix: Avondale Chrysler Jeep, Avondale Dodge Ram and Avondale Fiat.
FinishMaster/PPG San Diego Roundtable Group Awards 2012 Winners
Written by staffOn February 19, the FinishMaster/PPG San Diego Roundtable Group awarded its 2012 winners.
The group is comprised of refinish technicians from some of the top shops in the San Diego area who are FinishMaster customers using the PPG EnvirobaseHP paint line.
The groups meets for breakfast every other month to discuss issues, suggestions, and successes. As a technicians’ meeting, painters share techniques, color information, how they overcame certain issues and also gives them the opportunity to network with other refinish technicians.
The three award winners are: David Collins of Courtesy Chevrolet in Mission Valley (South Group) who won a Participation Leader Plaque); Fransisco “Chico” Valdovinos of Mossy Collision Center in Escondido (North Group) who won a Participation Leader Plaque; and Javier Castaneda of FIX Auto/Carter Collision in Mission Valley who won a Participation Leadership Award.
Da-Les Auto Body in Sunnyvale is resuming its proposal plans to expand to a neighboring city.
With the opening of its new location in Mountain View, Da-Les Auto Body plans to hire approximately 15 employees to work at the shop.
Duane Stewart closed his long-time auto body repair business, D&L Body and Plastics, Inc., in Bellingham, WA, on March 29.
Stewart and his father, Les, opened the business at 1421 N. Forest St. in 1962. Now 79, he started working in the industry as a teenager.
After 50 years in the business, Stewart retired from the business he loved and from which he operated at the same address in Bellingham for more than 50 years, the Bellingham Herald reported.
Capitol Collision Repair Specialists of Phoenix has added Star Rent-A-Car as a satellite rental car location.
Capitol Collision Repair is one of the largest independent body shops in Phoenix and recently celebrated their 25th anniversary in business.
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts recently opened Sheer Metal CARSTAR, its first location in Plano, TX.
Opened in 1958, the shop is owned by Grant D. MacQuilkan and managed by Esequiel Trejo. The shop is located at 903 J Place.
“CARSTAR helps us compete against the other collision repair chains with the market with their systems, training and vendor programs,” said MacQuilkan. “Add to that our now very unique ability to offer a nationwide warranty and our market has the best possible solution: top quality and guaranteed service provided by owners who personally care that you are taken care of well.”
As a member of the CARSTAR network, the shop will have access to CARSTAR’s management system, new repair technology, national warranties, and several corporately managed direct repair and purchasing programs.
“We are excited to see Grant MacQuilkan and Esequiel Trejo join the CARSTAR network,” said David Byers, CEO, CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts.
High school auto body students from Brownsville, TX, are headed to Corpus Christi to compete in the state SkillsUSA competition.
The auto body program at Hanna High School has two first-place entries to go with a sparkling 2000 Malibu hood that won best of show in the Rio Grande Valley, the Brownsville Herald reported.
Each entry was a group project and had to be completed on a time-limited deadline, auto body instructor Eddie Loa said.
