Collision Partners Acquires K&M Collision, Adds Michael Bradshaw to Leadership Team
Raleigh, North Carolina-based Collision Partners has acquired K&M Collision, an OEM-certified collision repair operator in Hickory, North Carolina, founded in 1991 by Kevin and Meredith Bradshaw. The deal is structured as an operator-led partnership, with the Bradshaw family becoming significant shareholders in Collision Partners.
Michael Bradshaw joins Collision Partners as executive vice president of Collision Operations and a member of its board, where he'll lead the company's collision repair strategy and work to build a scalable operating platform across its locations while preserving each shop's local identity. His brother, Kyle Bradshaw, will take over as general manager of K&M Collision, continuing the shop's focus on OEM and dealership partnerships and team development. K&M holds more than 30 OEM certifications from brands including Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Lucid, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.
Earl Johnson IV, CEO and co-founder of Collision Partners, said K&M reflects the kind of operator the platform was built to support, citing the Bradshaw family's track record advocating for consumers and pushing the industry toward higher standards. Michael Bradshaw chairs the board of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), and Kyle Bradshaw serves as president of the Carolinas Collision Association; Collision Partners said it will continue to support both in those roles.
The acquisition follows Collision Partners' earlier partnerships with Fantastic Finishes and Chassis Master, and the company has also expanded its corporate leadership team in business development, M&A, operations, finance and accounting to support further growth.
Auto Part Search Launches as Free Marketplace for Recycled OEM Parts
United Recyclers Group (URG), a network of more than 750 professional auto recyclers across North America, has launched Auto Part Search, a free online marketplace connecting shops directly with recycled OEM parts inventory. The platform is meant to replace the fragmented, multi-tab process shops have long used to source parts, letting buyers search by VIN, OEM number or vehicle and offering fitment data, real-time purchasing, fast fulfillment, warranty protection and detailed part images in one place.
Kristi Werner, CEO of URG, said the platform was built to help shops find, verify and buy recycled parts with confidence rather than functioning as just another listing site. Recycled OEM parts typically cost 20% to 80% less than new parts and can help shops avoid delays tied to manufacturing shortages, according to URG, whose members process more than 43 million used parts annually. The automotive recycling industry keeps more than 25 million tons of material out of landfills each year while saving over 85 million barrels of oil, the company said.
Global Finishing Solutions Names Shishir Tiwari President
Osseo, Wisconsin-based Global Finishing Solutions (GFS) has named Shishir Tiwari as its new president. Tiwari most recently served as division vice president at AMETEK, leading its global instrumentation, controls and vision systems business across North America, Europe and Asia, and previously held general manager and leadership roles at Wabtec, IDEX Corporation, GE Transportation and TVS Motor Company.
At GFS, Tiwari's priorities include strengthening core operations, expanding market share, growing service and aftermarket revenue, and building out the company's distributor relationships as it positions for continued growth. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, a master's degree from MIT and engineering degrees from IIT Kanpur and NIT Raipur.
BYK Acquires Radar Measurement Firm perisens to Support ADAS Paint Testing
BYK-Gardner USA, a subsidiary of specialty chemicals group ALTANA, has acquired perisens GmbH, a Munich-area company that makes measurement and testing equipment for automotive radar sensors and radar covers, known as radomes. The systems help ensure that paint applied over radar sensors doesn't interfere with the signals vehicles use for advanced driver assistance and autonomous driving functions.
perisens, founded in 2009 as a spin-off from the Technical University of Munich, holds patented technology used in both laboratory instruments and robot-controlled measuring cells on production lines. Its Radome Measurement Systems have been used since 2014 by automakers, radar sensor suppliers and paint manufacturers. perisens employees will transfer to BYK, with the company integrated into BYK-Gardner's headquarters in Geretsried, Bavaria, expanding BYK's existing color and gloss measurement business into radar testing.
NABC F.R.E.E. Program Trains Mid-South First Responders on Vehicle Extrication
First responders from nine Mid-South fire departments trained on extricating crash victims from late-model vehicles at Russom's CARSTAR Collision in Dyersburg, Tennessee, on July 11, through the National Auto Body Council's First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.) program. Travelers Insurance and Hurst Jaws of Life supported the event, which addresses the added complexity high-strength steel, airbags and electric and hybrid powertrains pose for rescue crews.
LaDona Russom of Russom's CARSTAR Collision said turnout far exceeded expectations. The NABC F.R.E.E. program has trained more than 7,000 first responders since its founding.
CAWA Elects Riley Pratt as 2027 Board Secretary
Riley Pratt of Genuine Parts Company was elected 2027 Secretary to CAWA's Board of Directors at the association's June Leadership & Educational Forum in Sacramento. Other 2027 officers include Chair David Simms of NAPA Auto Parts, Vice Chair Brian Cruickshank of Schwartz Advisors, Treasurer Jason Caldwell of RPS Marketing and Immediate Past Chair Dan Hanson II of Blue Streak Electronics.
Pratt, a 30-year NAPA veteran and regional vice president of sales for the Western Region, holds a business management degree from Southern Oregon University. Officers will be formally installed at CAWA's annual dinner gala Nov. 1 at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas, held alongside AAPEX.
Automotive Communications Council Awards Inaugural Scholarship to Ryan Boyer
The Automotive Communications Council (ACC), part of the Auto Care Association, has named Ryan Boyer as its first-ever scholarship recipient. The $2,500 award goes annually to a student pursuing a career in the automotive aftermarket industry. Boyer plans to study business at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey.
Sheila Sarkozi, ACC vice chair, said Boyer's passion and commitment to the industry made him an outstanding choice. The ACC scholarship is part of the broader University of the Aftermarket scholarship program, which awarded more than $900,000 to students in accredited automotive, collision and diesel programs for the 2026-27 academic year.
