Driven Brands announced that collision industry legends Geri and Jerry Kottschade, who own Jerry’s Abra in Mankato, Minn., were awarded with the Abra Franchisee of the Year for 2023 at the recent Driven Brands U.S. collision repair joint conference in Kissimmee, Fla.

Franchisee of the Year is the highest award given in the Abra family, and it represents the top performer in the Abra network. This winner was chosen on criteria such as leadership among the Abra network, excellent performance, mentorship of other franchise owners and support for the entire Abra family.

The Kottschades are an exemplary team who have been with the Abra network since 2015. Geri Kottschade is a true trailblazer in the industry and one of the founders of the Women’s Industry Network (WIN). Now, she has gotten her daughter integrated with WIN, an organization that encourages women to get involved and make their voices heard in a male-dominated industry. The efforts to support the community haven’t stopped there. The Kottschades have also attended networking events and local career fairs, placing them as a pillar of guidance that their family of team members and other franchise owners can lean on. The Kottschades brought a new approach to the industry when they joined Abra years ago, creating a customer-focused environment that puts customers at ease, creating cooperative relationships with insurance partners and taking on every task in the facility to get the job done.

“We are amazed with this award,” said Geri Kottschade. “It is truly an honor for our entire team to be recognized. It’s an incredible cap to a long, rewarding career. We have a retirement party coming up, so we’ll definitely celebrate then.”

Additionally, Jerry’s Abra partners with the Mankato MoonDogs each year to support local families affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia, and also supports NABC Recycled Rides.

Visit AbraAuto.com for more information.