John Melendez, owner of JDM Collision in suburban Chicago and longtime I-CAR Northwest Indiana Committee chair, recently submitted a formal letter on behalf of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Illinois (AASPI) urging the I-CAR Nominating Committee to expand single-shop operator representation on its Board of Directors.
“Independent shops are still the backbone of this industry, and their everyday realities deserve a voice at the board level,” Melendez told Autobody News in a June 30 interview. “We’re simply asking for a fair seat at the table so I-CAR can better understand the challenges one-location businesses face with staffing, certifications and rising training costs.”
At present, only one of the four seats designated for the collision repair industry on I-CAR’s 13-member board is held by a single-location operator — and that owner has since sold to a consolidator. The other three seats are slated to remain with MSOs after the July 7 election, where nominees from Caliber Collision and Crash Champions will appear on the ballot.
Texas Pushes for Transparency
AASPI’s letter was not the first salvo. Days earlier, Jill Tuggle, executive director of the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT), sent a sharply worded follow-up to I-CAR demanding to know who had actually read her initial concerns.
“Your reply is unsigned, carries only the I-CAR logo, and reads as a generic, canned message,” she wrote. Tuggle pressed I-CAR to clarify why association leaders — and by extension the thousands of independent shops they represent — are barred from board eligibility if they are not themselves collision repair business owners.
ABAT’s frustration mirrors that of the national Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), which says the pending bylaw amendments will “formalize the exclusion” of independent representation. According to its newsletter, SCRS has urged shops to submit alternate board nominees before the July 3 deadline and to comment on the proposed bylaws.
A Call for a Multi-State Coalition
Jill Tuggle.
Melendez believes state groups can do more than write letters. On the call, he floated the idea of a single-shop operators’ advisory council, similar to the internal MSO councils that already influence I-CAR programming.
“We need a structured forum where owners from Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, Florida — whoever is willing — can agree on one or two qualified candidates and present that slate directly to I-CAR,” he said.
He has already begun outreach to AASP-New Jersey and contacts in Florida to gauge interest. “If the associations collaborate instead of working in silos, it sends a powerful message: independents can unite around solutions, not just complaints,” Melendez added.
Why Representation Matters to Training
Beyond governance optics, state associations point to real-world training gaps. Independent shops often struggle to afford OEM certification programs that hinge on I-CAR coursework. Melendez pointed out that MSOs often have whole departments that keep techs enrolled and equipment updated, while single shops are doing it nights and weekends. Having their reality represented on the I-CAR board could influence course delivery, pricing models, even scholarship opportunities, he said.
SCRS data underscore the imbalance: roughly 24,500 single-location shops operate nationwide versus about 7,500 MSO outlets, yet MSO leaders are poised to hold every collision repair seat on I-CAR’s board.
Path Forward Before July 7 Vote
With I-CAR’s bylaw vote and board election less than a week away, state associations see three immediate actions:
1. Submit alternate nominees. Any regular I-CAR member may propose candidates until 11:59 p.m. CT July 3, according to SCRS.
2. Coordinate messaging. AASPI, ABAT and others are sharing draft talking points to avoid “stone-throwing” and keep the focus on constructive reform.
3. Plan a post-vote summit. Regardless of the election outcome, Melendez wants to convene a virtual roundtable, potentially hosted by a trade publication, to hash out a formal proposal for a single-shop advisory council.
“I-CAR has never lost sight of independents,” Melendez said, noting his own positive experience on advisory panels, “but the optics right now are bad. If we approach this professionally and together, I think the board will listen.”
Whether that happens hinges on how many independents mobilize this week, and how receptive I-CAR proves to a growing chorus from the states that keep Main Street collision repair alive.
Leona Scott