Clarity Car Care, the new U.S. banner created by Canada’s Simplicity Car Care, is planting its first flag in Florida through a strategic partnership with the Florida Auto Body Association (FABA), it announced. The collaboration aims to give independent collision repair operators a ready made playbook for profitable shop management, while boosting the new association’s legislative and training muscle.
Simplicity grew from a single Ontario location in 2017 to more than 100 shops in seven years before creating the Clarity brand for U.S. expansion. Florida was an early target, executives said, because the state ranks among the nation’s busiest collision markets and already hosts a network of owner operators eager for structured support.
FABA itself is barely a year old but has carved out an advocacy niche by affiliating with the national Society of Collision Repair Specialists in late 2024. Its stated mission is to “advance the automotive repair industry through comprehensive education, innovative training programs and proactive legislative initiatives.”
What the Partnership Delivers
Under a memorandum of understanding, the two organizations will jointly roll out:
• Advanced business training, including KPI tracking, parts margin optimization and digital workflow audits.
• Customer experience playbooks, including scripts and tools.
• Legislative advocacy support. FABA will tap Clarity’s corporate staff for data and testimony on insurer reimbursement bills expected in the 2026 Florida session.
“Our partnership with FABA reflects a deep alignment in purpose — to empower independent repair shops with tools, resources and strategic support that fuel long term success,” said Eric Gass, Clarity’s brand development manager.
Labor and Training Context
While Florida’s body shop count is less transparent than dealer registrations, the workforce trend is clear: the U.S. will need to fill roughly 15,700 open automotive body and glass repair jobs each year through 2033, largely to replace retirees, according to recent U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics. Florida’s share is proportionately higher because of its outsized vehicle population and hurricane related repair spikes.
State officials are steering money toward technical pipelines. The Florida Department of Education’s Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant (PCOG) sets aside $14.6 million for new or expanded apprenticeship programs in 2024 25, covering equipment, instruction and student services.
Franchise Model Built for Independents
Unlike paint company backed franchise systems that require major rebranding, Clarity licenses an operations platform while allowing shops to keep their own signage if they prefer. The model includes:
• Centralized insurer relations — negotiated DRP terms and assistance with reimbursement disputes.
• Digital performance dashboard — real time cycle time and gross profit analytics benchmarked across the network.
• Group purchasing — bulk discounts on OEM parts, tooling and sublet services.
Simplicity CEO Paul Prochilo said during the June rollout that a U.S. offshoot was necessary because the Simplicity trademark is already held stateside, but the change also gave the company “something fresh in a brand new marketplace.”
