Fix Auto USA announced the top performers in the Fix Auto family during the final day of the Fix Auto USA conference, naming three store owners and their teams with the honors.
Vatche Derderian, a second-generation owner who has multiple Fix Auto USA locations in the Los Angeles-area, received the Arrow Award for his long-term leadership and commitment to the Fix Auto USA family. He is a founding franchisee and an engaged market leader on the Fix Auto USA advisory board. Derderian has demonstrated his ability to forge a path forward, bringing his team along with him — no matter the challenge that may lie ahead.
“Like the head of an arrow, Vatche Derderian is a natural mentor and has consistently demonstrated his leadership abilities within his stores and amongst the network,” said Sabrina Thring, collision chief operating officer, Driven Brands. “He is fully committed to the Fix Auto USA vision and not only applies it to his business but encourages and promotes the vision to others. Congratulations to Vatche and his team for this prestigious award.”
Derderian shared his keys to success as part of the Fix Auto USA family.
“I saw my father working so hard as an independent owner, and I knew there had to be a better solution,” said Derderian. “Being in the body shop business as an independent owner was like just having a book, and then joining the Fix franchise system was like having access to the internet. I am always looking to try new tactics to improve our operational process and I always want to learn and grow from my peers around the U.S. I also take classes outside of our industry to learn more about running a business. This has taught me to always look at the numbers and pay attention to the backend of the business. Now, I balance my books every day.”
The Community Award was presented to Gary Leger, a multi-store owner with four Fix Auto USA locations in the greater San Diego area. He joined in 2015 and has continued to grow both independently and in partnership with other franchisees. Known for his passion for giving back, he focuses on the military, first responders and kids.
“I’ve been in this industry since I was 14 doing odd jobs, then became an estimator and worked my way up from there,” said Leger. “I’m always looking to get involved with the community. I’ve completed seven NABC Recycled Rides and love to get my team involved. We have gotten involved with the local YMCA to rebuild one of their vans. I’ve also gotten involved with a local school that has an auto body program, helping them build the curriculum, teaching classes and hiring interns from the school.”
Added Thring, “Gary Leger is a role model for us all. He is a founding member of the San Diego Army Advisory Council (SDAAC) and the U.S Firefighters Association, works with PaYS, and works with local schools giving back to their auto body repair programs and training students. We are honored to give the Community Award to Gary Leger.”
The top Length of Rental (LOR) Award presented by Enterprise was given to Fix Auto Lake Forest and owner Bryan Wendt who, with Richard Fish, also operates Fix Auto Kearny Mesa. The LOR award recognizes that the speed of a repair can make or break a customer’s repair experience. The LOR award winner is selected on the shortest average rental car length, based on Enterprise LOR data.
Wendt started out in the automotive industry as a mechanic and has always been focused on the repair process.
“I’ve seen big changes in the technology of the vehicle,” said Wendt. “My team and I are always working to keep up with the technology to make sure everything is done properly to protect our customers. Scheduling is key to having the shortest LOR possible, and the scheduling process ensures we are looking at every step required in the repair process. We do pre-orders on cars based on the initial estimates, source the parts before we take in the vehicle — if possible, pre-scan the vehicle and create the detailed repair plan. We also have visual cues within our team where members wear different colored hats to keep our team focused on moving cars efficiently through the repair process.”
Added Thring, “We’re proud to present the Enterprise LOR Award to Bryan Wendt and his team. This exceptional speed would not be made possible without a commitment to standardized processes, and we are happy to celebrate their operational excellence.”
More than 300 Fix Auto USA franchise partners, vendors, corporate team members and collision industry leaders gathered at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort near San Diego for the 2022 Fix Auto USA conference. It was the first time in two years that the Fix Auto USA family had gathered.
For more information, visit FixAutoUSA.com.
