The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is thanking and acknowledging the group of sponsors that provided significant financial support to get the inaugural Repairer Driven Education (RDE) program off and running.
RDE’s introduction proved to be a success, according to SCRS, cycling over 125 individuals through two days of educational offerings targeted for the modern collision repair professional.
The curriculum contributed significantly to the positive buzz surrounding the collision repair industry at the SEMA Show, SCRS says.
"As a collision repairer, I have attended this show numerous times, but this one was the best. The one thing missing from the past SEMA Shows I felt was a stronger presence of the collision industry segment and there was truly a big difference this year," said Joel Lofton, RDE attendee and owner of Barnett’s Body Shop in Ridgeland, Miss. "The Repairer Driven Education courses were fantastic — all of the speakers were great and left a tremendous impression on all who attended."
RDE sponsors fell into one of two categories — the master’s level, which signified a $7,500 contribution to the program, and the bachelor’s level, which signified a $5,000 contribution.
Participating companies were:
• Master’s level: BASF
• Bachelor’s level: GM, Ford, LKQ Corp., PPG and 3M
"Now, more than ever, the industry needs relevant education," said BASF OEM and Industry Relations Manager Joseph Skurka. "The complexity of modern vehicles and the products and techniques needed to repair them is growing all the time. BASF’s philosophy is to make our customer, the shop, more successful, and they can’t be successful without the up-to-date information and training that a program like RDE provides. SCRS provided a great opportunity for the industry that we were more than happy to support."
"I was so impressed with how great the SCRS RDE training classes were at the SEMA Show," added Forest Holt, owner of Southwest Body Shop in Amarillo, Texas. "The series added so much relevance to my experience at the show, and I received very usefull information that will help me in my business tomorrow. As an industry we need this information desperately, and I can’t thank SCRS or the sponsors of the series enough for providing this opportunity to the industry!"
SCRS says it extends its deepest thanks to the sponsoring companies, whose actions indicate that giving back to the industry through support of education is one of their highest priorities.
"The magnanimous contribution of our RDE sponsors demonstrates their understanding of the need for quality instruction and that the future success and continued value of our industry depends upon it," said SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg. "Their vision and foresight in being involved during the first of many years for this event, helped SCRS to address a critical industry need, and create a solid foundation that RDE can build upon going forward."
