Local news stories affecting the auto body industry in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Hawaii, Alaska and Wyoming
Pacific Collision Center of Cathedral City, CA, recently provided a 2011 Toyota Camry to a Coachella family in desperate need of transportation.
The giveaway, held in conjunction with the NABC Golf Fundraiser in Palm Springs on Jan. 23, was coordinated through Pacific Collision Centers and the Recycled Rides program.
“We had both the honor and pleasure to gift a vehicle to a needy family in the Palm Springs area,” said Steven Vettel, owner of Pacific Collision Centers. “Our director of marketing, Martha Serna, worked with Recycled Rides, along with local charities, Variety of the Desert and Angel View, to help facilitate the gifting of a 2011 Toyota Camry to Beatriz Alfaro,” Vettel said.
The California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced Jan. 28 that eight suspects were arrested on felony charges alleging fraudulent insurance claims, allegedly staging two automobile accidents and fraudulent vehicle vandalism. If convicted on all charges, the suspects face up to five years in prison and fines up to $50,000 each.
The suspects, Suren Grigorian, 45; Aida Akopian, 36; Seda Markarian, 62; Mamikon Hakobyan, 74; Masis Galstan, 49; Rosa Galstyan, 42; Roza Issayan, 41; and Setik Patatanian, 49, are all from the Burbank/Glendale area.
According to CDI investigators, the department received a tip from an informant in December 2010 alleging that Grigorian filed a fraudulent insurance claim stemming from his report of vandalism to a 2007 Mercedes sedan parked in the garage of his Burbank residence. The insurer paid approximately $20,000 to settle the damages claim. Further investigation revealed Grigorian and others were also allegedly involved in two suspected staged collisions in 2008. In that case, multiple insurers paid out over $62,000 to settle damage claims.
An auto body repair shop in Phoenix was recently lauded by five of the largest insurance companies in Arizona for exposing a man in Phoenix, AZ, who have been staging fake collisions to collect huge insurance claims from these insurance companies. Capitol Collision Repair Specialists received plaques of recognition from these insurance companies.
The criminal is suspected of staging more than 10 collisions in the past year and processing claims from the insurance companies amounting to more than a $1 million. Charges have been filed against him and the case is pending in court.
To view a pdf file of this article with photos, click HERE.
Charity giving is alive and well for body shops in Northern California. Four collision repairer companies were among those who gave away refurbished cars through charitable efforts during 2012.
G&C Auto Body, Golden State Collision, Regal Collision and Mike’s Auto Body all stepped up last year and reached out to their respective communities in a huge way. By providing 15 needy families or non-profit organizations with vehicles, these shops changed their recipients’ lives literally overnight by giving them a new start and the independence of transportation.
On Nov. 11, Mike Rose’s Auto Body held the first of its two Benevolence presentations on Veteran’s Day at its Fairfield location. The second presentation was held at its Antioch location on December 12. A total of six cars were given away by the company, setting a bar for charity amongst body shops in the Bay Area.
FinishMaster, Inc. announced two new acquisitions in two states.
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts, North America’s largest multi-shop operator network (MSO), is expanding in Washington with the opening of Complete Collision CARSTAR in Federal Way, WA.
Bodycraft Collision Centers and Golden State Collision Centers recently merged operations to form a new 19-location entity in the greater Sacramento, CA, area that will be called Golden State Collision Centers, a Bodycraft Company.
The two companies, which had a management agreement in place in early 2012, formally merged their operations Dec. 2012. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Golden State’s Roseville location, which opened September 2001, contains 14,000 square feet of production space, 3,000 square feet of office space and one acre of fenced yard. The combined company now has shops in Antelope, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Lincoln, Orangevale, Rocklin, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Sacramento, Shingle Springs and Yuba City.
Golden State was founded in 1993 by Dave Finkelstein in a 2,400-square-foot facility in Sacramento. The company added its fifth facility in Yuba City in 2009.
Bruce Mackie, owner of Bodycraft, will serve as the president of the merged operation and Finkelstein has taken the title of chief marketing officer.
Concluding the largest event in the Barrett-Jackson’s auction company’s 42-year history, charity was the big winner. In particular it was the recipient of a special, one-of-a kind, custom-built muscle car provided by three-time NASCAR championship-winning crew chief and ESPN racing analyst Ray Evernham.
Featured as one of the showcase vehicles at the recent Scottsdale, AZ, auto auction, its sale raised $280,000 for Evernham’s IGNITE foundation to assist children and young adults with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.
Originally unveiled at the Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes booth at SEMA Show 2012 in Las Vegas, Evernham’s street-legal 1964 Plymouth Belvedere combines old school American style with modern NASCAR racing technology. Aptly named ‘ForPly,’ the custom car marked Evernham’s debut as a car designer and builder.
The California Autobody Association will holds its 1st Quarter 2013 Board of Directors' Meeting on Feb. 8-9 at Doubletree Irvine Spectrum, 90 Pacifica, in Irvine, CA.
Quarterly board meetings are open to all members.
Schedule of events include a welcome reception from 6-8 p.m. on Friday and meeting times for Saturday are 8 a.m. to noon and from 1-4 p.m. Lunch on Saturday is $30.
To make hotel reservations, call (949) 471-8888 and ask for the California Autobody Association group block. Group rate is $99 for single or double occupancy.
Fix Auto USA today announced the addition of two locations in Washington State to its growing network of collision repair centers. The new locations are:
· Fix Auto Gig Harbor, previously Denny’s Harbor Auto Body
· Fix Auto Puyallup, previously Denny’s Valley Auto Body
With the additions, Fix Auto’s presence in Washington now totals eight locations, while its presence in the Pacific Northwest has expanded to 14.