Legislative Lowdown
California – The Collision Repair Association of California’s (CRA) two sponsored bills, Senate Bills 1059 and 1167, were heard by the Senate Committee on Banking, Finance and Insurance on April 2, coinciding with CRA’s Legislative Day. The CRA says insurers successfully convinced the California Chamber of Commerce to oppose S.B. 1167, which mandates that once
State of the Industry 2006
State of the Industry 2006 Too many shops, not enough work, not enough profit, too much insurer involvement and not enough business expertise on the part of shop owners are all contributing to the sorry state that is the collision repair industry. When repairers are discussing the state of the collision repair industry, I’m always
Talkin’ Shop in Cincy
They sure do eat well in Cincinnati. During my and Managing Editor Mike Peltier’s daylong visit to Elite Collision Service in Cincinnati last month, it was pecan squares the size of fuel doors for breakfast, Papa John’s pizza for lunch and, for a mid-afternoon snack, “cheese coneys” from Gold Star Chili. General Manager Phil Mosley
Industry Unity Finale: What Have We Learned?
As our Industry Unity series comes to a close, we look back at our examination of major industry issues and key in on what we’ve learned.
South Carolina Shop Accuses Allstate of Steering
When State Farm announced its switch to Select Service in 2006, Gus Mallios had a business decision to make. The new Select Service agreement asked that shops match rates and discounts equal to the lowest rates and/or highest discounts they were giving to other customers. Mallios, owner of the multi-location Summit Collision Centers in Columbia,
Akzo Nobel Seeks Most Influential Women in Collision Repair Industry
Akzo Nobel is accepting nominations for the 2008 Most Influential Women in the Collision Repair Industry. The 2008 program will mark the 10th anniversary for what’s acknowledged by many as one of the cornerstone recognition programs within the industry. “Akzo Nobel is pleased to have been able to pioneer this effort in the collision repair
WMABA Backs SCRS Statements on Insurers
The Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) voiced its support last month of statements by the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) alleging insurer abuse. WMABA echoed SCRS’ comments on insurers’ questionable business conduct and released a statement on its support of SCRS, which read, “WMABA has experience, both in the recent past and currently,
Coaching the Shop Team
The manager of an Indianapolis collision repair facility benefits from a positive outlook and a customized management system.
DOIs: The Fox Guarding the Henhouse?
For the most part, collision repairers believe state departments of insurance turn a deaf ear to their concerns. Here’s an in-depth look at the role they play in regulating the insurance industry.
A Lean Transformation
The New Year brought us another opportunity to transform an existing body shop from the traditional way to a better, process-centered way. So we ripped off the Band-Aid and got started.
