A History of Automotive Finishes
Waterborne paint took many years to develop. Let’s take a look back at the very first refinish coatings and the events that occurred to lead to its development. Part 1 of a 3-part series.
Car-Part.com Says Service Keeps Improving
Car-Part.com, a management system and online service for auto parts recyclers, has announced several improvements to its services on the heels of the fifth anniversary of its acquisition of the Checkmate management system. Car-Part says it recently formed a Checkmate features group, built Checkmate add-on products that simplify recyclers’ workflow, enhanced interchange, grown Checkmate to
AASP-MN Annual Meeting and Convention Announced
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota’s (AASP-MN) meeting and convention will be held February 27-28 at the Holiday Inn St. Paul East, St. Paul, Minn. The event’s line-up includes programs for mechanical and collision repair shop owners, managers and technicians, as well as industry suppliers. Friday’s schedule includes sessions on telephone skills, closing
PPG Spring Confernece to Address Critical Industry Challenges
PPG’s MVP Business Solutions team will host a conference for collision center owners and managers from across North America, March 9-11 at the Hilton Resort at Squaw Peak in Phoenix, Ariz. PPG says the conference’s combination of management training, peer exchange and expert speakers will help shop owners improve shop performance and competitiveness despite the
DCR Systems and Summit Software Solutions Extend Relationship to Proprietary Development
Mentor, Ohio-based DCR Systems has entered into a long-term business agreement with Summit Software Solutions, Inc. DCR Systems will utilize Summit Software’s shop and network management technologies in all existing and future DCR and DCR licensee locations, while Summit Software will develop proprietary software and technology solutions for DCR’s patent-pending collision repair operating model. “Summit
AutocheX Awards Honor “Best of the Best” Collision Repair Facilities
AutocheX, Mitchell International’s customer performance management group, hosted the seventh annual Premier Achiever Awards ceremony to honor collision repair facilities from throughout the U.S. and Canada for their achievements in customer service and satisfaction. The event was held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas in conjunction with the International Autobody Congress and
PPG and ASE Honor Master Refinish Technician of the Year
Richard Knieper was given the PPG/Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Master Refinish Technician of the Year Award at ASE’s annual Board of Directors Industry Awards Dinner held in San Diego, Calif., on Nov. 19. Bill Troyer, PPG Automotive Refinish manager of training, presented the award to Knieper. The award is given annually to the PPG collision
CAR-O-LINER Enters Operating Agreement with DCR Systems
CAR-O-LINER Company and Mentor, Ohio-based DCR Systems, which offers turnkey collision repair facility operations to dealerships, signed a long-term global business partner operating agreement during NACE 2008. Under this agreement, CAR-O-LINER Company, with its 26 distributor locations in North America, will work closely with DCR Systems by supplying and installing CAR-O-LINER collision repair systems in
Caliber Collision Centers Partners with Private Equity Firm
Caliber Collision Centers has announced that its senior management team, in partnership with ONCAP, has invested in the company. ONCAP is a leading mid-market private equity firm based in Toronto that was established in 1999 by Onex Corporation, one of North America’s oldest and most successful private equity firms. “This partnership represents a new chapter
ABRA Opens New Franchise
Minneapolis-based ABRA Auto Body & Glass has opened a new franchise in Greeley, Colo. This repair center, formerly Weld County Garage, is ABRA’s 23rd franchise. Warren Yoder, owner of Weld County Garage, will continue as the owner/operator of ABRA-Greeley. “I’ve been considering for quite some time how to move our collision business to the next