Lars’ Body Shop in West Fargo, N.D., is one of many collision repair facilities profiting from the cold and snowy winter.

With January collisions on track to set a record in West Fargo, local auto body shops are in “overdrive,” according to an article in the West Fargo Pioneer.

Not surprisingly, winter is a busy time for Lars’ Body Shop, with much of the shop’s business coming from drivers going too fast for the weather conditions, shop Manager Eric Swenson told the newspaper.

“We understand a vehicle is often a person’s second-largest investment; it’s part of their way of life,” Swenson told the West Fargo Pioneer. “We try to get them back on the road as soon as we can.”

The article, which plugs small shops as an alternative to dealer body shops, references the BodyShop Business 2017 Industry Profile survey. According to the survey, 85 percent of shop owners run a family-owned collision repair facility, and about 69 percent of body shops are independent shops. The survey appeared in the May 2017 issue of BodyShop Business.