GEICO has named Shane Wheeler assistant vice president of claims at its regional office in Tucson. Wheeler will oversee GEICO’s claims operation in several western states including: Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Washington. Wheeler joined GEICO in 1999 at the company’s San Diego office as a management intern. He then worked in several […]
Boyd Group Acquires Collision Repair Center in North Carolina
The Boyd Group Inc. announced the July 15, opening of a Gerber brand collision repair center in Statesville, North Carolina. The center previously operated as Black’s Collision Repair and served a six-brand dealership group. Statesville is in central North Carolina, about 40 miles north of Charlotte. “We are very pleased to add this center which […]
BASF Opens Automotive Coatings R&D Center in Shanghai
BASF expanded its regional research and development (R&D) activities for automotive coatings in Asia with its new BASF Innovation Campus Asia Pacific in Shanghai, China. At these coatings and coating resins laboratories, the company’s R&D team is innovating to address regional automotive customers’ growing demands for high-performance, quality and flexible coatings solutions with a lower […]
S/P2 Adds First of 12 Sustainability Courses for Collision Repair and Mechanical Customers
S/P2 announced that it will be launching a 12-course package in October 2016 focusing on sustainable business practices for automotive repair facilities. The courses provide information about how going green is a smart financial decision, as well as good for the environment. In anticipation of the October launch, S/P2 has added one of the 12 […]
Demonstration Schedule Announced for NACE | CARS 2016
NACE | CARS released the complete schedule for demonstrations during the Expo, taking place Thursday, Aug. 11 and Friday, Aug. 12 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. This year’s Expo features expanded OE involvement and demonstrations, such as those described below, on the latest products, materials & technology, and the latest solutions available […]
Body Repair Prices, Auto Insurance and Inflation
Auto body repair prices in June up more than two percent compared to year ago. Auto insurance prices were up 6.5 percent during the same period. The most recent government figures on inflation through June 2016 indicate the rate of growth of auto body repair prices has increased slightly during the first half of 2016 […]
NACE Panel to Discuss Importance of Pre- and Post-Collision Repair Scans, Calibration/Recalibration
Special presentation on Expo Floor will feature vehicle manufacturers and insurers detailing the requirements for pre and post-scans of collision damaged vehicles. Mike Anderson, consultant and president/owner of Collision Advice, will lead a panel of OEM and insurance representatives in a discussion about the need for pre- and post-repair scans, calibration/recalibration, and more. The intent […]
Chief Expands Distribution Network in Southeast and Midwest
Collision repair equipment manufacturer adds New Orleans Equipment Co. and Collision Equipment Experts, Inc. to distribution team. Chief announced the addition of two distributors to its esales and service network. New Orleans Equipment Company of Harahan, La., will support customers in Louisiana and south central Mississippi, and Collision Equipment Experts, Inc., of Lake in the […]
ABRA Opens Career Development Academy
ABRA Auto Body & Glass announced the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art Career Development Academy yesterday. Announced in June, the academy, located in Eagan, Minn., provides in-depth, hands-on training to the next generation of collision repair technicians. Students arrived on campus early yesterday morning for the first day of classes in the ABRA SpringBoard […]
Bob Cornelius Joins Certified Collision Group as Director of Business Development, Eastern Region
Certified Collision Group (CCG) announced the appointment of Bob Cornelius as Director of Business Development, Eastern Region. Cornelius has more than four decades of experience within the insurance claims community in designing, implementing, managing and refining direct repair program (DRP) networks to drive customer satisfaction, cycle time, and loss adjustment expense (LAE) results. His extensive […]