Oregon Collision Repair Association launches
The Oregon Collision Repair Association (OCRA) has officially launched to unite collision repair professionals across Oregon and provide a stronger voice for the industry through collaboration, education, resources, and legislative advocacy. Led by Board President Bob Knodel of Silver Creek Auto Body and supported by a founding board of independent collision repair professionals from communities across Oregon, OCRA was formed to strengthen the industry’s voice and better serve the public.
OCRA plans to hold quarterly membership meetings along with additional educational events, training opportunities, networking events, and industry discussions throughout the year.
There will be an event, OCRA Shop Talk, on June 16 with Knodel and April White of White's Collision. The session will focus on ow shops and consumers can navigate insurance challenges and support stronger statewide. Sign up at www.oregoncollisionrepair.org.
Shops and industry partners can learn more about OCRA or express membership interest at www.oregoncollisionrepair.org.
Sponsorship opportunities are currently available. More information can be found on the website.
Crash Champions opens fifth New Hampshire location
Crash Champions announced the opening of its newest New Hampshire repair center at 16 Rockingham Road in Windham, N.H.
The facility marks the company's fifth location in the state and spans 25,000 square feet. Crash Champions first expanded to New Hampshire in 2022. In 2024, the company continued its growth across the state through the acquisition of Auto City Collision Center in Manchester, NH.
RNR Tire Express awards three brand new Cars for 10th Annual Mother’s Day Giveaway
RNR Tire Express, part of the multi-brand franchisor company DX3 Brands, celebrated its 10th annual Mother’s Day Giveaway by awarding three mothers in Florida, Louisiana, and Virginia with brand-new vehicles.
Each year, RNR invites community members to nominate mothers with incredible stories and journeys, recognizing women who dedicate themselves to their families and communities every day. Katelynn Webber from Brandon, FL, Roquila Brown of Bossier City, Louisiana, and Salina Pugh of Suffolk, VA were selected as this year’s grand prize winners.
AASP/NJ launches initiative with designated email inbox to track insurance complaints
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) has created a designated inbox at dobicomplaints@aaspnj.org to compile complaints sent to the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) by repair facilities throughout the state, and their customers.
AASP/NJ is requesting that complaints be forwarded regarding insurer practices and interactions that may negatively impact consumers and the quality, safety or timeliness of repairs. The association urges collision repair facilities to share this request with customers who have encountered claim delays, repair restrictions, steering, reimbursement disputes, parts-related concerns or other insurance-related challenges.
By collecting and documenting these experiences, AASP/NJ seeks to ensure that consumer voices are heard, and that regulators have a clearer understanding of how insurer practices affect vehicle owners and the collision repair industry.
Davis Paint & Collision joins OpenRoad Collision
OpenRoad Collision announced that Davis Paint & Collision, a family owned collision repair business serving the Oklahoma City metro since 1990, has joined the OpenRoad Collision family of brands.
“We are honored to welcome Davis Paint & Collision to the OpenRoad Collision family,” said Steve Horton, CEO of OpenRoad Collision. “Ron and the Davis team have built something special over the last 30-plus years — a business rooted in trust, quality, and community. Our responsibility is to protect what made Davis great, support the teammates who built that reputation, and continue investing in the people, processes, training, and technology needed to serve customers and insurance partners at the highest level.”
NABC Recycled Rides® donates four refurbished vehicles
GEICO and collision repair partners presented four refurbished vehicles through the NABC Recycled Rides® program during a series of events June 8-10 across Florida and South Carolina.
Crash Champions in West Palm Beach kicked off the week June 8, presenting a 2020 Kia Soul LX to LaSheana Johnson, a U.S. Army and Florida Army National Guard veteran who works as a peer support specialist for fellow veterans navigating life after service.
The following day, Better Collision in Summerville, S.C., refurbished a 2017 Kia Optima for Andi Zuniga Flores, a Chilean immigrant serving as a firefighter with the Summerville Fire Department who had been depending on fellow firefighters to help manage his family's transportation needs.
Also on June 9, in Tampa, Crash Champions refurbished a 2020 Kia Optima LX for Amrie Fields, a 21-year-old single mother balancing college, work and raising a 3-year-old daughter while relying on costly rideshares for daily transportation.
On June 10, AutoNation Collision Center Delray in Delray Beach presented a refurbished 2021 Subaru Forester Sport to Samera Pierce, a mother of four — including an 11-year-old battling cancer — who had gone seven years without a vehicle.
Feldman Automotive Golf Event Raises $1.21M for Children's Programs
Corewell Health Foundation Southeast Michigan raised more than $1.21 million at its annual Feldman Automotive Children's Miracle Celebrity Invitational on June 8 in Metro Detroit. Funding supports Children's Miracle Network programming at Corewell Health Children's in partnership with the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation.
The event featured more than 50 national and local celebrities and athletes, with every foursome paired with a celebrity. Actors including Kevin James and Anthony Anderson and athletes including Marshall Faulk and Bode Miller were among those participating. A live auction and course contests generated more than $188,000 from bids on golf experiences, celebrity experiences and local business services.
Four Corewell Health Children's "Miracle" children representing the more than 325,000 children treated at the facility each year attended the event. Title sponsorship was provided by Feldman Automotive Group, led by Chairman and CEO Jay Feldman.
CARSTAR, Allstate host First Responder Extrication Training in Missouri
First responders from southeast Missouri gathered at CARSTAR Russom's in Cape Girardeau on June 6 for a hands-on training event through the National Auto Body Council's First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™) program. Allstate donated vehicles for the demonstrations, and Genesis Rescue Systems provided tools and instruction.
The program addresses the growing challenge modern vehicle construction poses for rescue operations, covering high-strength steel, airbag systems, advanced restraint systems and safety procedures around electric and hybrid vehicles.
Aims Community College students medal at SkillsUSA Nationals
Three Aims Community College students competed at the 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference June 1-5 in Atlanta, bringing home hardware in collision repair and refinishing categories.
Diana Perry earned a silver medal in post-secondary Facility Management, finishing second overall. Cloud Kline placed fourth in Collision Damage Appraisal, and Megan Pierret placed sixth in Automotive Refinishing.
The competition included written testing, job interviews, orientation activities and hands-on skills demonstrations evaluated by industry judges. The results bring Aims Automotive's national tally to 18 podium finishes and 11 national championships across 13 years of SkillsUSA competition.
Auto Care Association to preview 2027 Factbook in June 18 webinar
The Auto Care Association will host a live webinar June 18 from 2-2:45 p.m. ET offering an early look at the 2027 Auto Care Factbook. Senior Director of Market Intelligence Mike Chung will lead the session, walking through key data points and trends from the past year, new features in this year's report, an extended aftermarket industry forecast through 2029 provided by S&P Global, and practical ways businesses can apply the insights. The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A session, and attendees are encouraged to submit questions about the Factbook in advance. Registration is available at the Auto Care Association website.
