NBB Expands into Auto Services M&A with Two New Managing Directors
NBB, one of the nation's largest automotive M&A advisory firms, has added Giorgio Andonian and Cole Strandberg as managing directors of a newly established Auto Services practice. The expansion marks a significant strategic shift for NBB, which has historically focused on franchised dealerships. The new practice will cover Collision Repair, Auto Repair & Mechanical, Tire, Quick Lube, and related sectors.
Andonian brings more than 15 years of operational and investment banking experience in the automotive aftermarket, including a managing director role at FOCUS Investment Banking's Automotive Aftermarket group. Strandberg comes from a similar background, having most recently served as managing director, Automotive Aftermarket at FOCUS, and previously as director of business development at Autotality.
NBB CEO Zach Kuzemka said the two professionals "combine real operational credibility with deep transaction expertise in their sectors."
Michigan SkillsUSA State Competition Crowns 2026 Collision Repair Champions
Students from 13 Michigan schools competed in the SkillsUSA State Competition in Automotive Collision Repair, Automotive Refinishing, and Collision Estimating on April 17-18, 2026. Judges were working technicians and estimators from Gerber Collision.
Collision Repair first place went to Evelin Spiece of Oakland NW.
Connor Thumme of Lenawee ISD won first in Automotive Refinishing as a first-year student, and Jered Wyant of Lenawee ISD took first in Estimating.
Two new scored sections were added this year: a structural segment sponsored by Car-O-liner and a color tinting section sponsored by PPG.
The three state champions will prepare for Nationals with Saturday training sessions at LISD Tech Center.
ASE Begins Development of New ADAS Calibration Technician Credential
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has conducted a week-long Job Task Analysis and Content Development Workshop aimed at creating a new ADAS calibration technician credential. The certification is intended to serve a broad range of professionals, including collision repair specialists, glass technicians, alignment and tire technicians, and mobile service providers.
ASE President and CEO Dave Johnson said the credential will "ensure technicians across all segments of the industry possess the foundational knowledge and skills required to perform accurate ADAS calibrations."
Unlike more diagnostic-intensive ASE certifications, the new credential will emphasize practical application. It will focus primarily on forward-facing cameras and lane-keeping systems, with additional coverage of radar, blind-spot monitoring, and sensor-fusion technologies. A launch timeline will be announced in the coming months.
CIECA Webinar to Address ADAS Calibration Issues, Challenges and Opportunities
CIECA has announced a webinar, ADAS Calibration Issues, Challenges and Opportunities, scheduled for June 18 at 2 p.m. EDT. Speakers include Joel Adcock, director of strategic partnerships at Revv; Dan Dutra, partner and board member at Pace-ADAS; and James Spears, head of automotive artificial Intelligence at Tractable AI.
Adcock will address the disconnect between OEM procedure data, estimate data, and diagnostic data, and why ADAS failures often trace back to systems integration rather than the technology itself. Dutra will make the case for establishing ADAS calibration standards. Spears will discuss the advantages of incorporating ADAS repair procedures early in the AI estimation process, including the benefits of early alignment among repairers, ADAS technicians, parts suppliers, and insurers.
Rivian Receives Automotive Excellence Award at Great Designs in Steel Symposium
The American Iron and Steel Institute presented its Automotive Excellence Award to a team from Rivian at the 24th annual Great Designs in Steel symposium in Novi, MI on May 20. The team was recognized for its presentation "Rivian R1 Body Structure Evolution and Repairability," which detailed the company's transition from a mixed-material architecture in the first-generation R1 to a steel-optimized design in the second generation.
The project demonstrated improvements in crash energy management, structural stiffness, and mass efficiency using technologies including tailor rolled blanks and structural inserts. The team also outlined a multi-iteration collision repair development process designed to ensure low- to moderate-speed impact damage can be addressed through repeatable, OEM-approved repair procedures.
"These changes will extend the vehicle life, while also contributing to overall sustainability," said Rivian Materials Engineering Senior Manager Venu Krishnardula.
Volkswagen received an honorable mention for the VW ID.Buzz body-in-white construction.
Auto Care Association Announces 2026 Excellence in Education Award Winners
The Auto Care Association presented its annual education awards at the 2026 Auto Care Connect event in Atlanta. William Babcox, CEO of Babcox Media, Inc., received the Mort Schwartz Excellence in Education Award for his career-long work advancing industry knowledge and professional development in the automotive aftermarket.
I-CAR took the ACE Award in the Small Company category for its ongoing commitment to technical education and training in the collision repair industry. Christian Brothers Automotive won in the Mid-size category for its employee training and leadership development programs. FleetPride, Inc. received the Large Company award for its workforce development and technical training initiatives.
NABC Recycled Rides Donates Vehicles to Veterans and Families Across Multiple Events
The National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program completed several vehicle donations this week.
At Dover Air Force Base in Dover, DE, A1C Orville Smith received a refurbished 2021 Honda Accord, donated by Allstate and repaired by Caliber Collision.
In Springfield, MA, single father Quentin Stallworth-Noiles received a 2018 Honda Accord Sport, donated by GEICO and repaired by Balise Collision Repair.
In Durham, NC, single mother Lidia Diaz received a refurbished 2016 Toyota RAV4, donated by Allstate and repaired by Gerber Collision Durham-Chapel Hill.
At the Auto Body Parts Association Conference in Indian Wells, CA, Army veteran Marco Arango, a Bronze Star recipient, received a 2022 Toyota Highlander donated by Allstate and repaired by Fix Auto Santa Ana. Additional items donated by ABPA members included food, household goods, a television, and a gas card.
At the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, IL, Marine veteran Vincent Guzman received a 2023 Honda Accord donated by Allstate and repaired by Gerber Collision & Glass.
Since 2007, NABC members have donated more than 3,750 vehicles valued at approximately $67 million.
IIHS and NABC Host First Responder Extrication Training in Virginia
More than 75 first responders representing more than a dozen rescue units from Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maryland participated in a hands-on NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.) training event at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety facility in Ruckersville, VA on May 20. Twenty-four donated vehicles were used for the training.
The event was sponsored by IIHS, Allstate, GEICO, Farmers, and Nationwide. Hurst Jaws of Life provided the tools used in the demonstrations. The training addressed the challenges of extricating victims from vehicles equipped with high-strength steel, advanced airbag systems, and electric or hybrid powertrains.
