The Wano Family (l-r) Dad Gary, Jaden, Kamen, Ralen, Mom Julie and Hagen

    Wano accepted the mantle of responsibility as chairman of SCRS last April. In his opening remarks, Wano stated, “There are a lot of issues we intend to address throughout the year. Although some repairers are pessimistic about the general climate of the collision repair industry, we are optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead. SCRS’ job is to identify those opportunities and ensure our members are successful and profitable.”
    Wano’s sense of humor is still intact as he noted “I am finding out how much work it takes to keep this thing going.
    “Thankfully, the growing varieties of electronic communication allow us to respond more quickly to repairer needs, and mobilize faster than before. We recognize our strength is derived from our members and state affiliate associations. SCRS will continue to focus on strengthening and leveraging those relationships, as the need for unity has never been more prevalent.
    “SCRS is positioned to assist the industry in change,” Wano stated. “We have excellent input from a diversified board of directors to begin these processes. What we have found is that often there is a disconnect between what the insurer’s home office has set as policy and what is implemented in the field by local management. In the process of being passed down, the intent and spirit of the policy is often lost, sometimes resulting in negotiations at the shop level that are heated, unproductive, and certainly not market-driven.
    “We are meeting with four major carriers to find out what is really going on and to see what we can do to change our business climate. Our meetings have gone remarkably well, and may have opened the level of dialog between our industries. The concept of these meetings is to provide takeaways for both industries,” said a cautiously optimistic Wano. “Turning the ship around does take some time.”
    SCRS is one of many collision industry groups to benefit from Wano’s gentle leadership. He is a true advocate for the industry from painters to shop owners. His passion and efforts have been recognized by the industry as he was awarded the 2008 Collision Repair Shop Executive of the Year by Body Shop Business Magazine. He is also the National Auto Body Council PRIDE Chairman and former NABC director-at-large; Collision Industry Elecronic Commerce Association Repair Ad- visory Panel; ASA past president Oklahoma Chapter; and Oklahoma Auto Body Association past president.