The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has announced it will be hosting a Repairer Roundtable meeting on Wednesday, April 9 from 8:30 to 11 a.m. in Portland, Ore. The event, which will be held at the Red Lion Hotel – Jantzen Beach, is a continuation of the Repairer Roundtable meetings launched in 2012. Held in different locations across the country with rotating hosts, they provide forums for collision repair professionals and feature conversational agendas that promote healthy dialogue surrounding issues important to their business.
The April 9 meeting will be kicked off by a presentation by Dave Gruskos of RAE Inc. on the growing use of alternative materials and repair designs found in today’s modern fleet, and how those design changes are influencing repairers’ approach to collision repair.
"It is our belief that starting this discussion on a strong foundation of information will create some really substantial dialogue around the issues our industry is facing in this area," said SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg. "Dave is an excellent resource to expose our members and guests to the current technology boom we are seeing, and to underscore the requirements associated with preparation as these advanced, high-production models enter our repair businesses. There is a great deal of commitment and investment involved in the pursuit of capability, and understanding what is, and will be, expected of repairers will help in the development of individualized strategy to serve the market."
In a March 11 article in Rhode Island’s The Valley Breeze, SCRS says representatives of the insurance industry gave the misperception to legislators and consumers that all shops are created equal. In response to a bill that would create different classification levels of body shops, Frank O’Brien, vice president of state governmental relations for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, said, "The legislation would essentially charge more for the Class A shop with all the ‘fancy’ gear, even though the Class B shop could do the job just as well for less money. It would be like requiring people to pay $10 more for a sirloin at one butcher shop based on how the shop looks."
"Unfortunately, these types of comments impede progress and emphasize the increased challenges ahead of an industry that has major capital investments in its future to maintain pace with the vehicles they’re repairing," said Schulenburg. "While others with divergent economic interests seek to dispute the necessary returns on investment in training and equipment, by essentially categorizing ‘specialization’ as frivolous, it is the belief of the SCRS board of directors that our obligation is to bring as much information to the forefront of the industry as possible to help refute such ludicrous assertions."
Other SCRS events:
Tuesday, April 8
3-5 p.m. – SCRS Open Meeting
5:15-5:30 p.m. – SCRS Annual Election
Wednesday, April 9
8:30-11 a.m. – Repairer Roundtable
11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. – SCRS Industry Awards & Corporate Member Recognition Lunch
More information:
RSVP for Awards Luncheon and Repairer Roundtable to [email protected] by March 26.
