1Collision has announced the addition of Chariot Collision Center in Kokomo, Ind. The collision repair facility is part of Chariot Auto Group in North Central Indiana, established in 1926.
Ric Pugmire, director of collision operations for Chariot, said the company is committed to providing world-class customer service and investing in employee education and training to ensure a proper and safe repair on every vehicle.
“We are delighted to be bringing on operators like Ric Pugmire and the Chariot team,” said John Hollingsworth, director of new location development for 1Collision. “Ric has been involved in the industry for many decades and will bring a wealth of knowledge to the other shops in our network while we help Chariot grow.”
In November 2022, Chariot team members went to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas to look for the partners they would need to grow the business. The 1Collision team felt like a good fit to Chariot after they talked to to Jim Keller, president and CEO of 1Collision.
“To accomplish our goals, we knew we would need access to the kind of resources and relationships the large MSOs have access to,” said Pugmire.
Being part of 1Collision enables Chariot to tap into a deeper and broader variety of resources and build relationships with vendors and insurance partners.
“The relationships Jim and the team have built with seasoned people in the industry will help us solve industry problems together in the future,” Pugmire said. “It will also allow us to work cooperatively with our peers as a network because we aren’t competing.”
Chariot is looking forward to working with 1Collision to help take the next step into a collision repair world full of new technologies and systems. This includes meeting with the field operations team to sharpen the collision repair business systems that will help take their business to the next level. The company is also interested in networking with other 1Collision locations and talking to them about industry issues, including certifications, training, front-office tasks and staffing.
“1Collision will provide access to other people grappling with the same problems we are,” said Pugmire. “By getting involved in a network, we don’t have to solve all the problems ourselves.”
