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- Colorado Hail Damage Still Needs Completing One Year Later
- Body Shop in Colorado Springs, CO, Has Car for More Than a Year
- Gerber Collision & Glass Acquires Location in Watauga, Texas
Southwestern News
Local news stories affecting the auto body industry in Arizona, Utah, Arkansas, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Louisiana
Caliber Collision Centers Acquires Houston's Collision Correction
Caliber Collision Centers, an operator of collision repair facilities in California and Texas, has announced the acquisition of Collision Correction located in Houston.
Collision Correction, comprised of two state of the art repair centers, was founded in 1998 by owner/operator Terral Hill. The Woodlands Center, a 25,000 square foot facility, is located off of Kuykendahl Rd.
“This center is strategically located relative to our existing centers in the Houston market to provide additional coverage for our carriers. This is an excellent acquisition and a natural fit for Caliber as we execute our mission of being the collision repair center provider of choice in every community we serve,” said Steve Grimshaw, CEO of Caliber Collision Centers.
The second location is Caliber Collision Centers– Spring, a 26,500 square foot facility located off of I-45 and Louetta Road.
Irving, TX, Police Seek Car in Death of U.S. Marine
Irving police on May 27 asked North Texas auto body shops to be on the lookout for a car that investigators believe was damaged in a hit-and-run crash last week that killed a U.S. Marine on Texas 183.
Car parts recovered at the scene indicated that the Mazda Tribute sustained damage to the right side of the vehicle, Irving police said.
Investigators believe that someone has repaired it or will need an estimate on the repair.
Authorities are asking repair shop employees to call Irving police if they have any information on the car which could be white or silver.
Police also said that other witnesses were at the scene who have not come forward to make reports. Irving police appealed for those people to call.
On May 19, Evan Sanchey, 23, of Yakima, Wash. was struck and killed about 5:50 a.m. in the 4400 block of Texas 183 at the Esters Road exit ramp in Irving.
Sanchey had recently flown into Dallas/Fort Worth Airport from duty in Afghanistan and was at the airport awaiting connecting flight home, Irving police said.
Sanchey was hit by the Mazda Tribute as he crossed the freeway, Irving police said.
The car slowed down briefly, but drove away eastbound on Texas 183, Irving police said.
Anyone with information should call Irving police at 972-273-1010 or 972-721-2761.
Shreveport, Louisiana’s Caddo School Named ‘2010 School of the Year’
Caddo Career & Technology Center, a vocational high school in Shreveport, LA, was named the Tomorrow’s Technician/Chicago Pneumatic 2010 School of the Year.
Students’ training begins outside the classroom, where instructor Mike Falkner and other instructors greet them at the door with a firm handshake and a good morning. Shirts must be tucked in, name tags must be visible and they’re reminded to look people in the eye when they speak.
“We run our class just as though they were going to work,” said Gary Weese, who with Falkner teaches students about everything under a car from bumper to bumper.
On hand to present the award and tools to the school were representatives from Tomorrow’s Technician, program sponsors Chicago Pneumatic and WIX Filters and custom hot-rod designer, builder and painter Rich Evans of Huntington Beach Bodyworks.
More than 300 applications from secondary and community colleges were submitted for the contest, which recognizes the top automotive technical schools and instructors throughout the country. This was the first time a high school has won the award.
Stevens said the selection committee received a four-inch binder full of heartfelt recommendations from students, teachers, parents and community members about the school’s program. Student-teacher ratio, graduation rates and awards and recognitions also were considered.
Northwestern Louisiana Collision Repair Association Offers Estimating Courses
The Northwestern Louisiana Collision Repair Association (NWLCRA) held several estimating courses May 11, 12 and 13 at the Louisiana Technical School Collision in Shreveport, LA.
Silsbee Texas Gets New Fasulo’s Paint and Body Shop
Fasulo’s Paint and Body Shop unveiled their second Texas location in Silsbee, TX, 20 miles north of their flagship shop in Beaumont, this April and was able to receive over $70,000 in repair jobs during just their first month.
Storms Across N. Texas and Oklahoma Leave Floods, Power Outages and Millions in Damages
Storms across Texas and Oklahoma wreaked havoc on the states with tornadoes and large hail; damages are still being calculated.
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Bear Creek CSI, Inc. Back with New State of Art Facility
Hurricane Ike blew into the Houston area, in September, 2008, with a fury that destroyed buildings and devastated dreams throughout the city. Bear Creek CSI, Inc., a respected auto body repair business, was hit particularly hard…8 car bays were totally demolished and walls of the structure crashed down on various cars, battering them as well. At first glance it appeared as if it might be months before work resumed, if at all.
Though total damages reached $750,000, General Manager Trey Perdue had the facility back up and running, with the help of generators, two days after the disaster. And far from a death knell, the Category 4 storm gave Bear Creek CSI, Inc., the determination to rebuild even bigger and better than before.
El Paso Body Shop Target Of Attorney General Law Suit
An east El Paso body shop is facing serious allegations of lying to customers, according to a lawsuit filed by the Texas state attorney general and the El Paso County Attorney’s Office.
The suit alleges Jacob’s Body Shop, previously known as Gemini’s Body Shop, and its owner Veronica Quiroz took money for repairs promising new parts had been installed. According to the suit, subsequent inspections revealed that on various occasions the parts actually were used and second-hand.“If you're driving with parts that already have 200,000 miles on them or have been used extensively, sure, it could be a safety issues," said Ralph Girvin, an assistant El Paso county attorney.In at least one case, an inspection revealed the car in question was not deemed unsafe to drive. The suit is requesting up to $20,000 per incident from Quiroz.
LA, TX, and FL Home Insurance Rates
Louisiana remains the third most expensive homeowners insurance market in the nation behind Florida and Texas, according to newly released data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
New Car sales in Dallas-Fort Worth fell about 30% in 2009
Dallas News is reporting that the recession cut deeply into local new car and truck sales last year, which fell a dramatic 29.9 percent – one of the steepest declines in decades. All four major counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area reported drops of at least 25 percent in new vehicle sales from 2008 levels, according to The Freeman Metroplex Recap of new vehicle sales, released Jan 20.