Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) has officially recognized Certified Collision Care as an approved third-party OEM certification program as part of SGI’s provincial accreditation program and their Safe and Quality Auto Repair Project. Shops that become certified with Certified Collision Care before March 1, 2021 will be eligible for a $6,000 one-time lump-sum payment for meeting the minimum accreditation requirements, plus an additional one-time lump-sum payment of $9,000 for becoming OEM certified (total of $15,000).
The training and tooling incentive was announced by Minister Responsible for SGI Joe Hargrave on Sept. 21, 2019 at the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR) Annual General Meeting, as one of many major changes to their accreditation program that are designed to ensure there is a healthy, sustainable collision repair industry capable of repairing vehicles safely. SGI acknowledged in a bulletin that the Safe and Quality Auto Repair Project represents “a significant change for the industry.” The bulletin states that “It’s a big change for repair shops, and it’s a big change for us. As vehicles continue to become more complex, we need to ensure we have an industry capable of repairing them safely.”
The Certified Collision Care program is the largest OEM certification program in Canada. Managing and administering OEM certification programs for Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Kia, Nissan, INFINITI, Toyota and Lexus, the program represents over 50% of vehicles on today’s roads.
“This recognition of the Certified Collision Care program by SGI shows the importance of becoming certified,” said Leanne Jefferies, vice president of Canadian operations for Assured Performance Certified Collision Care. “We are extremely pleased that collision repair facilities in Saskatchewan will see an immediate financial benefit of achieving our certification through the training and tooling incentive of $15,000 from SGI. When combined with the certification marketing tools and OEM referrals that our certified shops are provided with, becoming a part of Certified Collision Care is a proven way to bring cars to your door and increase the value of your business.”
Certification is only awarded to shops that have invested in the tools, equipment and technical training required to repair vehicles to OEM specifications, and who successfully complete the Certified Collision Care assessment, pass an on-site inspection and audit and are approved by the OEM partners. Certified Collision Care Providers gain access to a suite of marketing tools including OEM certified signage, use of OEM logos, listing on multiple online consumer and insurer-facing locators, press releases, OEM marketing initiatives and customer referrals.
For more information or to join Certified Collision Care, visit www.certifiedcollisioncare.ca.
