NASTF Announces Officers for 2011
The National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) has announced its new officers for 2011. Ron Pyle, president and chief staff officer of the Automotive Service Association in Bedford, Texas, is chair, with Allen Pennebaker, president of Orinda Motors in Orinda, Calif., and past president of the Automotive Service Councils of California, as vice chair and
New Jersey Body Shop Owner Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Insurance Cos. with Phony Parts Bills
New Jersey Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced that a Middlesex County, N.J., body shop owner pleaded guilty to defrauding numerous insurance companies out of nearly $52,000. Divyakant Patel, 46, of Iselin, pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Frederick P. DeVesa in Middlesex County to charges of third-degree
Fix Auto USA Appoints Industry Veteran Dan Tessadri to the Role of Director, Fix Full Performance Claims
FIX USA announced the appointment of Dan Tessadri, who will be assuming the role of director of claims, leading the Fix Full Performance Claims Solutions (FFPCS) group. Tessadri’s duties will include leading the Fix Auto claims management department to further provide efficient processing of claims for insurance customers, while delivering service and results through Fix’s
Gerber Collision & Glass Opens New Arizona Repair Center
The Boyd Group Inc. announced the opening of a new repair center in Yuma, Ariz. The start-up facility operates under the Gerber Collision & Glass trade name and is approximately 16,000 square feet in size, with 15,000 square feet of production space. With this addition, the Boyd Group is now able to serve consumers and
GEICO Awards $1,500 Tool Grants Via Collision Repair Education Foundation
The Collision Repair Education Foundation (formerly the I-CAR Education Foundation) and GEICO Philanthropic Foundation have announced the winners of the GEICO Tool Grant Program. The program will offer $1,500 in tool purchases for the selected schools. The schools selected for this award are in New York; Washington, D.C.; Florida and California and were applicants for
CONSOLIDATOR REPORT: ABRA, Caliber, Collision Revision Expand U.S. Footprint
Three collision repair multi-store operators have recently expanded. Caliber Collision Centers Caliber Collision Centers, which has 79 locations in California and Texas, has announced the opening of a third center in El Paso, Texas. Its new El Paso-Mesa facility is located on North Mesa Street; the other two facilities are located on Gateway Boulevard East
Caliber Collision Centers Expands Texas Coverage with Third El Paso Center
Caliber Collision Centers, the largest collision repair company in the U.S. with 79 locations in California and Texas, has announced the opening of a third Caliber Collision Center in El Paso, Texas. Caliber’s new El Paso-Mesa facility is located on North Mesa Street in El Paso, Texas, with the other two facilities on Gateway Boulevard
Mitchell AutocheX Celebrates Top-Performing Shops at Ninth Annual Premier Achiever Awards Ceremony
AutocheX, Mitchell International’s customer experience management service, honored collision repair facilities from throughout the U.S. and Canada at the ninth annual Premier Achiever Awards ceremony held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas in conjunction with NACE. The Premier Achiever Award recognizes top-performing shops that use the AutocheX service to measure customer satisfaction.
Ford Announces Aftermarket-OEM Crash Test Results at CIC
The ongoing aftermarket-OEM parts debate continued at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) held Nov. 3 at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, with Ford Motor Company concluding as the result of crash tests it conducted that using aftermarket bumpers can negatively impact airbag deployment. Ford was prompted to conduct the crash tests as the
OBITUARY: Paul N. Duncan Jr.
Duncan, founder of Duncan’s Collision, Inc., in Boardman, Ohio, served on the Ohio Collision Repair Registration Board and was an active ASA member.