The Loomis, CA, Planning Commission gave the green light last week to a large-scale auto body shop for the vacant Homewood lumberyard on Sierra College Boulevard at Brace Road.

Mike Anderson of Collision Advice and Danny Gredinburg of DEG, in partnership with the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), present Quick Tips for those in the collision repair industry.

The Karma Innovation and Customization Center on July 1 revealed the first Club Car Current vehicles being produced under a contract manufacturing agreement with AYRO, Inc.

AAPEX is now accepting nominations for the second annual Shop Owner of the Year, Service Advisor of the Year and Technician of the Year awards.

Support for the bipartisan Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2021 (RPM Act), H.R. 3281, continues to expand each day as members of Congress receive an outpouring of support for the bill from racers and the motorsports parts industry.

As aftermarket businesses and the economy begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses must stay informed about trends that have changed and where the most opportunities can be found for various aftermarket segments.

The Auto Care Association, along with six other aftermarket trade groups, sent a letter to the new chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on June 30 expressing appreciation to the FTC for findings and conclusions of the recently released report, “Nixing the Fix: An FTC Report to Congress on Repair Restrictions.”

Zeigler Subaru of Merrillville, IN, on June 10 presented local charity Chasing Dreams, Inc. with a $24,208 check.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) thanks all those in the industry who showed their support of Automotive Service Professionals Month (ASPM) in June.

Consumers seeking relief from new car prices in the used car market might be a bit dismayed by used car prices as well, according to the car shopping experts at Edmunds.

Automakers on July 1 began releasing sales data for the month of June and the second quarter of 2021.

asTech recently announced it will be attending and sponsoring two upcoming fundraisers in the collision repair industry.

His Silver Surfer collection includes a rare Shelby, Maseratis, and a million-dollar Miura.

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. on June 30 announced it has successfully completed its Chapter 11 restructuring process and has emerged as a financially and operationally stronger company well-positioned for the future.

A General Motors rear toe-link recall has been issued a second time for 2010-2016 Cadillac SRX and 2011-2012 Saab 9-4X vehicles.

The Boyd Group Inc. announced the acquisition of 16 collision repair centers located in South Carolina and Georgia.

An Audi Takata airbag inflator recall includes nearly 63,000 model year 2000-2001 Audi TT Coupe, TT Roadster, 2000-2002 A4 and Audi S4 vehicles equipped with Takata non-azide driver airbag inflators (NADIs).

Carvana, the leading e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars, announced June 30 it is now offering as-soon-as next-day touchless home delivery to Wichita, KS, area residents.

On June 23, Teslarati reported the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) blocked the launch of an all-electric taxi fleet from the startup Revel.

COVID-19 was the third-leading cause of short-term disability for U.S. workers in 2020, according to internal data from Unum.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has added a new Spanish language option to its ASE.com website.

Kelley Blue Book recently updated its Instant Cash Offer to help dealers increase efficiency and acquire more inventory with Sight Unseen Appraisals.

Leading digital automotive marketplace and solutions provider Cars.com found 44% of in-market car shoppers plan to buy this July 4th weekend. Of those shoppers, 53% intend to buy a U.S.-based vehicle.

The Ulster BOCES auto collision technology program in Port Ewen, NY, recently received a generous classroom enhancement grant of $12,000 from the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) and CCC Information Services Inc. (CCC), which allowed for the purchase of laptops that will be installed with mobile repair estimating software.

As vehicle technology and safety systems continue to evolve, State Farm and Ford are working together for the benefit of their shared customers.

On June 3, Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Alan McClain issued a statement reminding auto body shops anti-steering laws exist and reminding consumers they have the right to choose the body shop that repairs their vehicle after an accident.

A new offer is on the table from State Farm to auto glass providers in its National Glass Program.

General Motors says it wants to make sure all of its customers and its employees are included in its transition to an all-electric car company. 

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer toured a flooded Detroit freeway by air and on the ground June 28, calling it "a devastating moment" for many Metro Detroit residents.

Days after record high temperatures in the Arctic, the Pacific Northwest is facing heat waves that are melting cables and roads and shutting down schools because the buildings do not have the infrastructure to keep classrooms cool.

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just a vision for the future---it’s here now, and as it becomes more prevalent in the collision repair industry, auto body shops need to prepare to navigate its integration into various technologies, or risk being left behind.

Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas has been named the Manufacturing Project of the Year by Area Development Magazine.

Building on its purpose to save driving and its focus of preserving and expanding inspiring experiences for automotive enthusiasts, Hagerty on June 23 announced its acquisition of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.

The Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA), an independent nonprofit standard-setting and certification organization for automotive crash parts, announced the launch of its new Tier 1 Replacement Parts Verification Program.

With a focus on building, growing and strengthening membership, the UAW International Executive Board (IEB) on June 28 unanimously elected Secretary-Treasurer Ray Curry to serve as UAW president upon the retirement of Rory L. Gamble for the remainder of the current term, which ends in June 2022 at the 38th Constitutional Convention.

The Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) on June 28 announced the addition of six new organizations to its Sustaining Partner program, including AFR Insurance, asTech, CSAA Insurance Group, IAnet–Nationwide Appraisals and Kemper Insurance.

June U.S. new-vehicle sales are expected to showcase a market still well above last year's levels but one that is slowing after a frenzied spring buying season.

Late into the evening June 25, a line of severe thunderstorms pelted Michigan with torrential rain. Additional storms the following day led to more rain and at least one confirmed tornado.

While the vast majority of Californians drove far less last year, most California insurance companies continued to charge pre-pandemic auto insurance rates, reaping a windfall of about $5.5 billion, according to an analysis by Consumer Watchdog.

The CAA is pleased to announce new Department of Insurance labor rate surveys updated as of June including Allstate, Esurance and State Farm are now available on the CAA website.

Oliver Brodlieb, a fourth-generation automobile dealer on Long Island, has been elected chairman of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA), which represents and advocates for more than 400 franchise new car dealers across the Metro New York region.

Crash Champions, a leading independent collision repair company, announced June 29 it has restored and donated a 2012 Hyundai Tucson to a local Chicagoland family in need as part of the National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Recycled Rides program.

Three large dealer groups are having a busy finish to June, not just related to meeting monthly and quarterly sales and revenue objectives.

Some countries and states are considering essentially banning sales of new conventional---internal combustion engine (ICE)---cars at some point in the future, as a final step to go all-electric.

Tara Garber has had vehicles on the mind for a long time.

LKQ North America, the leading provider of alternative vehicle parts, is now using Tractable's Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accelerate and optimize the recycling of the salvage vehicles the company procures across its North America segment.

Sherwin-Williams® recently launched Collision Core™ Quality and has grabbed the attention of not only body shops implementing the application to prevent in-process quality failures in the repair process, but industry partners like the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS).

I was writing an email to one of my collision repair clients recently, and used Google to try to find a different term for “waste of time.”

Crash Champions, LLC, one of the nation’s largest independent collision repair companies, announced June 28 it has entered the Colorado market through the acquisitions of Auto Collision Experts (ACE), with four locations in the Fort Collins area, and Karas Auto Body, a single shop located in Thornton, CO.

 
Fix Auto USA, an industry-leading collision repair network, is proudly celebrating the opening of Fix Auto Sierra Vista, located at 4108 East La Linda Way, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635.