John Van Alstyne, president and CEO of I-CAR, took a look back at the non-profit training organization’s performance in 2011 at the Collision Industry Conference held Jan. 12-13 in Palm Springs, Calif., and liked what he saw.

Highlights he listed were:

• Live student units (individuals who registered for an I-CAR course) up 18 percent
• Online training revenue 4 times higher than expected: $1.6 million vs. $484,800
• 11 new online courses
• 6 new live courses

Goals he listed for 2012 included:

• 10 percent increase in training
• 100 percent of ProLevel 1 attainment required for Gold Class
• No price increase – continuing a streak of 27 months with no price increase
• Reduced online training pricing

He also announced that I-CAR would donate $1 per class to the Collision Repair Education Foundation in 2012.

Van Alstyne said the key to future success for I-CAR was building on a strengthened foundation by focusing on restructuring; financial strength; stakeholder passion; I-CAR brand and legacy; changing vehicle technology; Professional Development Program; and operation excellence.

“The voice of the customer – that’s our guide,” he said.

Van Alstyne said that I-CAR hopes to make the training process easier for students in 2012 through pre-registration with payment, improved group registration and enhancing customer service. To achieve this, I-CAR will be doubling the size of its staff.

Van Alstyne also said I-CAR is currently conducting data analysis to show I-CAR training’s impact on helping shops improve their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). 

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More information:

I-CAR