Local news stories affecting the auto body industry in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
Students from career centers around Northeast Indiana are putting their skills to the test in a regional Skills USA Competition, reported wane.com.
As the students put their trade to work from 8am to noon on January 31, business partners from the community helped judge.
Students competed in various trades including automotive collision repair, cosmetology, welding, television production, construction trades, and IT/ graphic design, reported wane.com. Some students in the competition attend Anthis Career Center within Fort Wayne, IN Community Schools.
According to its website, Skills USA is an applied method of instruction for preparing America’s high performance workers enrolled in public career and technical programs.
The Anthis Career Center’s mission is to provide students with skills to succeed and opportunities to use those skills. Anthis offers many types of classes including aviation, culinary and early education, reported wane.com.
A woman in Nora Spring, IA was trapped by her wrecked car until a tow truck driver moved the vehicle and helped her escape.
After two and a half years of legal jousting, involving over 140 separate claims seeking damages in excess of $300,000.00, Bob Juniper of Three-C Body Shops and State Farm Insurance have reached a settlement.
Twenty-five years ago, Molly Cantrell-Kraig experienced first hand what it’s like to be a single mother raising a four-month old without a means of transportation.
John Welscher, manager at Auto Value. As part of the conversion from United Auto Supply, the store can offer increased heavy duty parts, more import vehicle parts and more variety. The business is staffed by the same five friendly individuals who worked for United Auto Supply.
Most of the collision industry in Missouri is familiar with David Tritz, because he knows the business inside-and-out and isn’t afraid to share his expertise and express his opinions. A 59-year-old second-generation body shop owner, Tritz is always looking for a better way to fix cars and to make a profit, which has become harder and harder over the years.
AAA Auto Salvage, with two locations in Minnesota, became the newest automotive recycler to join Team PRP, a nationwide network of recyclers.
“Team PRP is pleased and proud to welcome AAA Auto Parts. Their dedication to our industry and our customers matches perfectly with Team PRP’s strategic vision,” affirmed Mark Gamble, Team PRP’s Executive Director. “Our goal is to maximize the industry impact of the independent recycler, and AAA in Minnesota is another important step in that direction.”
The addition of this newest partner enhances the nationwide network’s ability to service customers in the state of Minnesota as well as the western region of Wisconsin.
Founded in 1983, AAA Auto Salvage has expanded from a small, two-employee auto salvage facility to a very sizable operation employing 65 people. Their two locations—one in Rosemount, MN and the other in East Bethel, MN—specialize in late model recycled automotive parts. The Automotive Recyclers Association honored AAA for their efforts with the Star Award for Top Certified Automotive Recycler (CAR).
“We are excited to be part of Team PRP,” commented Eric Schulz, CEO of AAA. “Our industry desperately needs the consistency of product delivery that Team PRP members work so hard for, and we are looking forward to being a part of that commitment. Being part of a community of business people who share the same vision is a real bonus.”
Vehicle Service Group (VSG), the parent company of Rotary Lift®, Chief® Automotive Technologies, Direct Lift®, Forward Lift®, and Elektron, has been named Business of the Year by the Madison Area Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes VSG’s leadership, vision, innovation and service in Madison, Ind., where it is headquartered. The chamber presented the award last week during its 91st annual dinner and awards ceremony.
St. Matthews Imports, a body shop and collision repair center in Louisville, KY, has formed an online marketing partnership with BizIQ, a firm specializing in local web search optimization and search engine exposure.
The Missouri Auto Dealers Association is suing the Missouri Department of Revenue and its director, Nia Ray, for allowing electric-car maker Tesla to sell vehicles directly to consumers.