The Autobody Craftsman Association (ACA) announced that its executive board of directors decided to shut its doors and close its books after 38 years of service to the collision repair industry in Washington State and, for a period of time, in Idaho.
For several years, the association suffered from dwindling membership as consolidation and the economy took its toll.
The primary purpose of the ACA was to provide education for its membership and a unified voice and representation for issues concerning legislation, regulation and the insurance industry.
After paying off outstanding bills and paying out returns for a Labor and Industries Fund that qualified members were entitled to, the board divided up the residual funds and made substantial contributions to four vocational colleges to establish self-sustaining funding for students entering the collision repair industry. The institutions that received the endowed funding were Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Clover Park Technical College, Renton Technical College and Bellingham Technical College. A grant was also made to the Donna F. West Memorial Fund for a smaller amount to issue scholarships to students wishing to join the collision repair industry.
"Many very good things for the collision repair industry were accomplished by dedicated members who worked together for the improvement of themselves and their profession," said former board member and retired shop owner Mike West.
