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Recent Columns
- Solving the Tech Shortage: How Conditions, Culture & Compensation Can Help Body Shops Attract & Retain Employees
- From the Desk of Mike Anderson: Reflecting on My Journey in the Collision Repair Industry
- In Reverse: The 1980s – The Advent of the Unibody
- Best Body Shops’ Tips: How to Position Your Collision Repair Shop for Sustainability
- In Reverse: Collision Repair Shops “ARM” Themselves
Ed Attanasio
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco. Ed enjoys sports of all kinds and is a part time stand-up comedian.
He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
Day Job/Night Job: NY Shop Owner Creates Graffiti Mansion
Written by Ed Attanasio
Taking a mansion that was built 207 years ago and turning it into a piece of graffiti art was the brainchild of Joe LaPadula, the owner of Martino Auto Concepts in Glen Cove, NY. Photo credit: Sean Basdaranos
Glen Cove, NY is a beautiful, laid back coastal town on Long Island and is well-known for things like its annual sailboat races and free summer concerts.
Midwest Auto Body decided to give a car to a worthy recipient, and as a result, local Catholic seminarian and missionary Marco Franco got a 2006 Mercury Milan from this shop in Melrose, IL.
Last year, I interviewed Jose Esquivel, the owner of Midwest Auto Body in Melrose, IL about his journey into collision repair.
Day Job/Night Job: Body Shop Office Manager Is Just Starting to Rev Her Engine
Written by Ed Attanasio
Originally an amateur drifting racer, now Zenia Amezquita is all-in when it comes to road racing.
Five days a week and sometimes on Saturdays, Zenia Amezquita, 32, works at Cali Style Auto Body in Hemet, CA as the office manager.
Metal Tech Training Program at Mike's Auto Body is a Success
Written by Ed Attanasio
Mike's Auto Body's second in-house graduating class produced four new collision professionals, including Lorenzo Algood, (third from right), whose father Lupe (second from right) is one of the program's instructors.
When Lorenzo Algood recently became the second member of his family to graduate from the Mike's Auto Body Metal Tech Training Program, it made the celebration a family affair.
Do You Have the Next Great Body Shop Invention?
Written by Ed Attanasio
Brad Weschler, the owner of WeschTools, is the inventor of numerous collision tools, including four currently in development.
A body shop owner invents some ingenious software that can make estimators' lives easier.
There's No Free Lunch When it Comes to Your Website
Written by Ed AttanasioMany body shop owners have been seduced by the idea of having a free website while their competitors are dropping major bucks on their sites.
"Collisionista:" She's Retired, But Not Out of the Game
Written by Ed Attanasio
Petra Schroeder retired after nearly 47 years working in the paint side of the industry, but she is still the current chair of WIN and a trustee for the Collision Industry Foundation (CIF).
If you have ever collided with Petra Schroeder, you know why they call her "Collisionista," because she isn't afraid to take on any challenge in this male-dominated industry.
Richard Wood, the owner of Richard Wood Kustoms in Austin, TX and a 1982 graduate of WyoTech, employs seven people and all of them are graduates from the school.
World-renowned for creating breathtaking cars that win top awards, Richard Wood believes in WyoTech, the technical school he graduated from 35 years ago.
Do 3 Things Right With Your Marketing and Thrive
Written by Ed AttanasioI had a baseball coach in high school who used to say, “Do three things right!” His theory was that the human brain was adept at handling three things simultaneously, but more than that and it would struggle.
Not Just a Cause, But a Way of Life for Lefler Collision & Glass
Written by Ed Attanasio
Jimmy Lefler with Yin Yin Khin and Sophia during his recent and 11th trip to Myanmar.
The collision repair industry gives back in a big way, and certain body shops are well-known for their philanthropy and kindness.
More...
Kathy Mello of TGIF Body Shop in Fremont Wins at Every Level
Written by Ed Attanasio
Kathy Mello of TGIF Body Shop in Fremont, CA won an Excellence in Community Service Award at SEMA last year from the National Auto Body Council for her outstanding charitable efforts and volunteerism, including mentoring at-risk youth and disabled adults.
By working hard and doing all the right things for the right reasons, Kathy Mello of TGIF Body Shop in Fremont, CA is a shining example of how good things happen to good people.
For the 11th time, Regal Collision in Vallejo, CA presented a completely refurbished vehicle for a deserving family through its participation in the national Selected Benevolence Program.
Just like Nigel Tufnel said in the film This is Spinal Tap, "This one goes to 11!"
The Spira Saves Lives Because It's Encased in Foam
Written by Ed Attanasio
Lon Ballard of San Diego, CA invented the Spira4u, a three-wheel motorcycle for two people with a plastic and fiberglass chassis encased in foam.
Imagine a vehicle that is completely encased in protective foam, so that when it collides with a pedestrian, cyclist or other vehicle, it bounces off and minimizes impact.
CA Supreme Court Affirms Authority of Insurance Commissioner Jones
Within the last six years, the insurance industry has continually questioned the authority of the California Department of Insurance to regulate its industry on several fronts.