Certified Collision Group Names Michael Horne Chief Financial Officer
Certified Collision Group (CCG) has named Michael Horne as chief financial officer, effective July 20. Horne joins CCG's executive team as the affiliate network for independent collision repair shops continues to grow across the United States and Canada.
Horne spent more than a decade in financial leadership roles at private equity-backed, multi-entity organizations, most recently at Babilou Family US (Little Sprouts), a multi-state early education platform, where he led enterprise financial planning and analysis, controllership, treasury and liquidity management, and strategic planning across more than 40 operating units.
"Mike brings the quality of financial leadership CCG needs to continue to provide value to our affiliate network and deepen our partnerships," said Michelle Sullivan, CEO of Certified Collision Group. "He has a strong track record of building FP&A infrastructure, strengthening controls and supporting multi-site platforms."
As CFO, Horne will oversee financial planning, controllership, treasury, and affiliate network support, working closely with Sullivan and the rest of the executive team on CCG's growth strategy.
"CCG has built a differentiated model that gives independent operators the benefits of scale without sacrificing what makes them independent," Horne said. "I look forward to strengthening the financial foundation that supports that model as the affiliate network continues to expand."
Horne holds an MBA from Bryant University and a bachelor's degree in finance, with a minor in global studies, from Bentley University.
Assurity Certified Solutions Announces AI-Focused Certified Collision Conference in Nashville
Assurity Certified Solutions will host its 2026 Certified Collision Conference Sept. 30 through Oct. 2 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee, a three-day event built around how artificial intelligence is reshaping collision repair estimating, documentation, and payment.
"Shop owners are being sold AI from every direction right now, and almost none of it comes with a straight answer about what the technology actually does," said Mark Zoba, co-founder and CEO of Assurity Certified Solutions. "We built this conference so certified repairers could hear it from the people writing the software and ask them hard questions in the same room."
The program opens with a keynote from Robert Daigle, global head of AI at Lenovo, and closes with physician-astronaut Dr. Shawna Pandya. Sessions include Quinton Krueger (3M) on AI's impact on collision shops, Dune Pagaduan (Mitchell) on AI in estimating, and Bill Brower (Solera) on how insurers are approaching AI. Nissan and 3M are sponsoring the event.
Registration is $1,750 per person and includes sessions, two breakfasts, one lunch, the welcome reception, and a private dinner at Luke Combs' Category 10 downtown. A $500 guest pass is available, and group rates apply for shops sending multiple attendees. The discounted host-hotel rate of $309 per night releases August 31.
Registration is open at assuritycertified.com.
ASE Connects, Snap-on Launch Back-to-School Giveaway for Instructors
ASE Connects and Snap-on are giving away tools and gift cards to support instructors preparing the next generation of automotive, diesel, and collision technicians. Four schools will receive prizes, including three $250 Snap-on gift cards and a grand prize Snap-on cart and tool set valued at more than $11,000.
The giveaway is open to high school and post-secondary instructors teaching automotive, diesel, collision, or related technical education courses, as well as school administrators. To enter, instructors log in to or create a free ASE Connects account and complete the back-to-school form by October 2. The form, which takes five to 10 minutes, lets schools request tools, shop tours, guest speakers, and advisory committee members, share enrollment and curriculum updates, and log the previous semester's activities.
ASE Connects, which grew out of ASE's acquisition of WrenchWay, now helps more than 3,500 schools nationwide build partnerships with local shops, dealerships, and OEMs. Schools can sign up for free at https://myshop.wrenchway.com/school-signup.
California's BAR to Join Statewide Automotive Tech Education Conference
The California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) will participate as a presenter at the second annual California Automotive Technical Education Alliance (CATEA) Conference, sharing insights from its technical training and engineering programs.
The two-day event brings together leaders from California's automotive and education communities. The conference portion takes place Friday, October 9, at Frontwave Arena, followed by hands-on training Saturday, October 10, at Palomar College.
Registration and the full event schedule are available at www.caautotechalliance.org.
ASA Revives NACE and CARS With New Roundtable Format for September San Antonio Event
The Automotive Service Association is reviving NACE and CARS with a smaller, more interactive format built around roundtable discussions rather than the large-scale trade shows of years past. The relaunched one-day event is set for Sept. 29 in San Antonio, co-located with the CIECA CONNEX conference at the Hilton Palacio del Rio.
Rather than classroom-style sessions and a sprawling show floor, the new NACE centers on direct interaction between shops, OEMs, and vendors, organized around a concept ASA calls SPARK, for Safe Profitable Automotive Repair Knowledge.
"We're probably seeing more shops struggle or go out of business because the industry has changed so rapidly," said ASA Chairman Dan Stander of Fix Auto Highlands Ranch in Littleton, Colorado.
ASA Immediate Past Chairman Scott Benavidez of Mr. B's Paint & Body in Albuquerque, New Mexico, said the format is meant to revive the small-group problem-solving of ASA's former Collision Operations Committee meetings, with space intentionally limited to keep the event interactive rather than passive.
Registration is open. Sponsorship inquiries can be directed to Brian Nessen at nessenb@gmail.com.
NABC Recycled Rides Delivers Vehicles to Veterans, Families in Three Cities
NABC's Recycled Rides program presented refurbished vehicles to recipients in Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee over the past week.
In Cypress, Texas, 1st Choice Collision, part of the OpenRoad Collision network, refurbished a 2019 Kia Sportage LX donated by Allstate for Jennifer Williams, a Houston-area mother nominated by the Fort Bend Women's Center. The family lost their home and vehicle in the 2017 Hurricane Harvey flooding.
In Oklahoma City, Caliber Collision refurbished a 2021 Honda HR-V for Joshua Houston, an Army combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and now advocates for fellow veterans through Oklahoma Veterans United. Gerber Collision & Glass of Edmond, Oklahoma, refurbished a 2024 Chevrolet Trax for Anise Stephens, an Army veteran who medically retired as a staff sergeant in 2020 and now works with the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs. Farmers Insurance donated both vehicles; the presentations took place July 29.
In Memphis, Tennessee, Carey's Body Shop refurbished a 2022 Nissan Altima donated by Allstate for Eriyana Brown, a University of Memphis student and Agape Child & Family Services program participant. The vehicle was presented Aug. 4 at a Pinnacle Financial Partners office in Memphis.
