Two Shops Expand Despite Tough Economy
A restoration shop and a car dealership are both investing in collision repair shops to boost their businesses. When a Pottstown, Pa., Chevy dealership and its accompanying body shop went up for sale last year, Wheels in Motion restoration shop owner Mike Yannessa saw the body shop as an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. The
DCR Systems Partners with Gallery Automotive Group
Mentor, Ohio-based DCR Systems (www.dcrsystems.net) has reached an agreement with Gallery Automotive Group (www.gallerygroup.com) in Norwood, Mass., to convert its existing body shop to DCR’s patent-pending, lean-based collision repair process. This agreement preceded DCR’s exclusive arrangement with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. DCR took over operations of Gallery’s existing shop on Jan. 6, 2009 – becoming
Mercedes Signs NASTF Service Information Standards Agreement
The National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) announced that Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC has signed the NASTF Service Information Standards Agreement, joining 13 other auto manufacturers agreeing to make service and training information and tools accessible to all vehicle repairers on an equal basis. Much of the standards embody the practices that have been in place
ABRA Opens 95th Repair Center
Minneapolis-based ABRA Auto Body & Glass has opened a new repair center in the Cherry Creek area of Denver, Colo. ABRA now operates 95 repair centers in eleven states. The Cherry Creek repair center is in a freestanding building and was formerly operated by Emich Volkswagen. The facility will be extensively remodeled and upgraded within
Rentals to the Rescue?
Renting your own vehicles may be the answer to shoring up your bottom line. At the very least, it allows you to take more control of your customer’s experience.
Repairers Say Insurers, Not Consumers, Benefit from Full-Body Sectioning
Several Midwest collision repairers told the Chicago Tribune that for a safe auto body repair, consumers should avoid shops that want to perform full-body sectioning, also known as clipping, on their cars. Mark and Pam Pierson, owners of Princeton Auto Body in Princeton, Ill., said in the article aimed at educating consumers that some insurance
Many Economy Cars Not Economical to Repair
In a recent series of crash tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) assessed how well the bumpers of 20 small car models would protect the vehicles from damage in low-speed collisions. The worst performers are the Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Rabbit, each sustaining about $4,000 damage or more in a single
Custom-Made Revenue?
The growing demand for custom and restoration work has made it worth looking at by collision repair shops hungry for more profits.
Opening of North Carolina Shop to Showcase Lean, DCR Systems
Mentor, Ohio-based DCR Systems and Mike Johnson’s Hickory Toyota joined forces last year to build a state-of-the-art, 12,000-square-foot accident repair center near the dealer’s Hickory property. Featuring DCR’s patent-pending lean-based production process, Mike Johnson’s Collision Center opened to the public March 28. The grand opening of the center on June 11 will feature a ribbon-cutting
All 2009 VWs Will Have Electronic Stability Control
Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced in March that its Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) will be standard equipment on every 2009 model year Volkswagen. By offering ESP as a standard feature, Volkswagen is the first non-luxury manufacturer to include an electronic stabilization system at no additional cost on every vehicle it sells – well ahead of