NABC Recycled Rides® Presents Refurbished Vehicles
The National Auto Body Council® NABC Recycled Rides® program presented eight refurbished vehicles to recipients in Florida, Massachusetts and Texas in late April.
On April 22, Tampa-area Navy veteran John Hubert received a 2022 Honda Accord donated by Travelers and refurbished by Gerber Collision & Glass Citrus Park in Tampa.
On April 23, Boston-area youth nonprofit MissionSAFE received a 2018 GMC Acadia donated by Allstate and refurbished by CARSTAR Waldron's A-1 Auto Body in Lancaster, MA.
Since the program launched in 2007, NABC Recycled Rides® members have donated more than 3,750 vehicles valued at more than $67 million.
SCRS Elects Board of Directors at Spring CIC Meeting
The Society of Collision Repair Specialists announced the results of its 2026 Board of Directors election during the spring meeting of the Collision Industry Conference in Charlotte, NC. Three incumbent directors were re-elected and one new member was added.
Re-elected to the board are Tony Adams, LeadersWay (Kansas); Andrew Batenhorst, Pacific Collision Center (California); and Michael Giarrizzo Jr., DCR Systems (Ohio).
John Picciano, owner of Flower Hill Auto Body in New York, was elected as a new director. A fourth-generation collision repair professional, Picciano leads a 76-year-old family business with three locations and more than 35 OEM certifications.
Following the election, the board selected its executive committee. Michael Bradshaw will continue as chairman, alongside Kris Burton as vice chairman. Adams will serve as secretary, Batenhorst as treasurer and Giarrizzo as director-at-large.
I-CAR Apprenticeship Program Earns State and Local Recognition During National Apprenticeship Week
I-CAR received proclamations from the State of Illinois and the Village of Hoffman Estates recognizing National Apprenticeship Week, observed April 26 through May 2. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Hoffman Estates Mayor William D. McLeod each signed proclamations honoring the week and the role of registered apprenticeships in workforce development.
The recognitions come less than a year after I-CAR launched its U.S. Department of Labor-registered Apprenticeship Program in July 2025. The program has since expanded to 116 locations across 35 states. It pairs aspiring collision repair professionals with paid, on-the-job training, progressive wage increases, structured classroom instruction and nationally recognized credentials. Sixty-two percent of enrolled apprentices are between the ages of 16 and 24.
ASE Hosting Free ADAS Webinar May 5
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence is hosting a free webinar, "ADAS Operation and Calibration," on Tuesday, May 5, at 4 p.m. ET. Presenter Wes Dickens of MEYLE will cover ADAS components, their functions and how to perform common calibrations on European vehicles. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance.
Auto Care Association to Host Right-to-Repair and Policy Webinar May 6
The Auto Care Association will host "Policy Ahead 2026: Elections, Right to Repair, and Vehicle Data" on Wednesday, May 6, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. The webinar will cover federal and state legislative developments, including the current status of the REPAIR Act and its bipartisan support, the impact of software-defined vehicles on data access and cybersecurity policy, and how midterm election outcomes over the next six to 12 months could affect independent repair viability.
AASP/NJ to Co-Sponsor Estimating Profitability Seminars in May
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey will co-sponsor "The Final Review," a six-hour estimating profitability seminar, at two locations in May. Sessions are scheduled for May 19 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Hamilton, NJ and May 21 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Springfield, NJ.
The seminar will be led by AASP/NJ Collision Chairman Jerry McNee of Ultimate Collision and John Niechwiadowicz of QLC, Inc. Topics include real-time RO reviews, supplement negotiation, profit leak identification, labor categories and markup errors, and insurer authority and its limits. Standard registration is $209 per person; AASP/NJ members pay $179. Space is limited.
ProColor Collision Opens First Arizona Location
ProColor Collision has opened its first Arizona location in Phoenix. Formerly known as SS Collision, the shop is owned and operated by Ryan Bruno, a Phoenix native with 22 years of collision repair experience. Bruno began building the business out of his home garage in 2010 before opening a commercial location in December 2020. The shop is an I-CAR Gold Class facility and is installing a new Garmat downdraft paint booth. ProColor Collision is part of the Fix Network family of brands.
NABC F.R.E.E. Program Hosts First Responder Training in Fairborn, Ohio
The National Auto Body Council First Responder Emergency Extrication program hosted a training event May 2 at Crash Course Village in Fairborn, Ohio, serving first responders from across the Miami Valley region.
GEICO donated vehicles for the event, and Genesis Rescue Systems provided tools for instructors. The program provides hands-on education on extrication techniques for high-strength steel, advanced restraint systems, airbags and alternative fuel vehicles including hybrids and EVs.
I-CAR Announces Mixed Reality Repair Planning Training Series for Estimator/Repair Planner Role
I-CAR announced the upcoming launch of Mixed Reality Repair Planning Training Series, a new learning experience designed for Estimators/Repair Planners pursuing ProLevel® 2 recognition. This new series will provide repair planning process skills and support high-quality repair outcomes. It will be a requirement for Gold Class® and Platinum™ recognition renewals beginning July 2027.
“As vehicles and repair procedures grow increasingly complex, effective repair planning has never been more important,” said Kyle Thompson, I-CAR CEO & President. “The Mixed Reality Repair Planning series demonstrates I-CAR’s commitment to evolving our curriculum to meet the needs of today’s repair planning professionals.”
