The Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) said it has added West Virginia to its membership territory.
Steve Krieps, shop manager for Greg Cline Automotive in Winfield, W.Va., led the effort to include the Mountain State in the trade association.
“The collision repair industry is changing at a rapid pace,” said Krieps, who is the newest board member of WMABA. “As vehicle technology advances, the repair process must evolve as well. As repairers, it is absolutely critical that we stay informed on local issues, and act when necessary. We must educate our consumers so they can make informed decisions and stay consistent with our training, to the benefit of consumer safety and quality of repair.”
The trade association is “on the forefront of progress,” Krieps added, and West Virginia’s partnership with WMABA “will be instrumental to the Mountain State.”
WMABA will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2018.
“WMABA has two major milestones cresting into 2018 with the 50th anniversary and now the West Virginia addition,” said WMABA President Mark Schaech, who is vice president of Mark’s Body Shop in Baltimore. “I am so pleased to see this new growth, probably to go along with additional re-branding opportunities, and the excitement of this is very refreshing. As collision repairers, we can get bogged down in the minutiae of shop life. It’s easy to lose sight of all we are really capable of when we lock together. It could be the best thing to happen in my time with WMABA, both on the board and as a longtime member.”
For more information about WMABA, visit the association website or contact Jordan Hendler, executive director, at (804) 789-9649 or [email protected].
