The second annual Multi-Shop Operator (MSO) Symposium was held October 12 during Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW) to a sold-out crowd of more than 250 attendees. The day-long event that took place at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans featured high-end content specific to MSOs and an evening networking reception.
“Marcy and I are grateful to the speakers and panelists who joined us at this year’s symposium,” said Matthew Ohrnstein, Symphony Advisors, producer of the MSO Symposium. “Their candor and willingness to share with the industry created a unique learning experience. We are humbled by the reception to this event.”
The symposium featured sessions on culture, branding, relationships, leadership/growth and finance. Topics and speakers at this year’s symposium included:
Culture – Marcy Tieger with Symphony Advisors; Pam Nicholson, president and COO of Enterprise Holdings; Andrew C. Taylor, chairman and CEO of Enterprise Holdings; and Christine B. Taylor, vice president of Enterprise Holdings
Branding – David Lingham, IBIS conference director, and Sasha Strauss, founder and CEO of Innovation Protocol and professor at the University of Southern California
Relationships – Matt Ohrnstein with Symphony Advisors; Bill Brower, assistant vice president and manager with Liberty Mutual Insurance; Patrick Burnett, assistant vice president with Nationwide; Michelle Dereszynski, assistant vice president with Farmers Insurance; and Susanna Gotsch, industry analyst with CCC Information Services
Leadership and Growth – Chris Abraham, CEO of Service King Collision Centers; Brock Bulbuck, president and CEO of the Boyd Group; Steve Grimshaw, CEO of Caliber Collision Centers; and Duane Rouse, CEO of ABRA Auto Body & Glass
Finance – Rex Green, head of consumer group at BB&T Capital Markets; Warren Feldberg, partner at Champlain Capital Partners, LP; Adam Glucksman, managing director of the Carlyle Group; Evan Hershburg, principal with Oncap; Lorin Knell, partner with KCB Management; Lex Wolf, managing director of the Beekman Group; and Luis Zaldivar, managing director of Palladium Equity Partners
“I was impressed by the choice of topics, the caliber of the speakers and the openness of the participants," said Liza Milijasevic of Global Collision Centers. "It was refreshing to hear The Big Four admit to some missteps on their growth paths, and the strong focus on culture and a defined and forcefully communicated emotive brand confirms our own priorities at Global Collision. The MSO day is truly a ‘must attend’ for any collision repair group that is serious about its future.”
According to organizers, the MSO Symposium was so popular with attendees that the event was completely full from start to finish. One attendee reported that he even changed his flight to stay for the duration of the symposium.
“The attendees this year were a ‘who’s who’ of all MSOs in the country,” said Ron Nagy, AAM, of Nagy’s Collision Specialists, and NACE chairman. “All the major players were represented.”
Added DuPont’s Bruce Cooley, “The speakers provided great prospective on all facets of the MSO business model. They provided information that is virtually inaccessible in any other industry forum. What a great experience to see and hear the Taylor family from Enterprise, too.”
Exhibitors are already expressing interest in sponsoring the 2013 MSO Symposium. UniCure Spraybooths renewed its sponsorship of the event on-site in New Orleans, along with a commitment to exhibit in next year’s show.
“The symposium provides a great opportunity to build relationships with MSOs,” said Allen Jenkins, president of UniCure Spraybooths. “It helps us understand their market and how to meet their needs. We are honored to be a 2012 sponsor and look forward to sponsoring this amazing event next year.”
The 2012 MSO Symposium was sponsored by CCC Information Services Inc., DuPont Performance Coatings, Nissan, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, UniCure Spraybooths, Garmat USA, VeriFacts Automotive, CAR-O-Liner, BASF–The Chemical Company, BB&T Capital Markets, Universal Technical Institute, Service King Collision Repair Centers, ABRA Auto Body and Glass, and Mitchell. The MSO Symposium was produced by the Automotive Service Association (ASA), the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) and Symphony Advisors.
The third annual MSO Symposium will be held during ASRW 2013, Oct. 16-19 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
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