Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) announced it has added 34 new parts to its Collision Parts Truckload Program, reducing list prices on those parts by an average of 11 percent. The additions include parts for the popular F-series, Edge, Fusion, Escape and Explorer vehicle lines. “For nearly 20 years, the Truckload Program has played an […]
Regional Golf Fundraiser Paves Way for National Auto Body Council Programs
A full field of golfers representing all facets of the collision industry, with Enterprise Rent-A-Car as Presenting Sponsor and 33 additional sponsors, joined forces in Dallas, Texas for a successful day for the National Auto Body Council (NABC), the entire collision repair industry and most importantly three deserving North Texas families in need of transportation. […]
BASF Names Christopher Kugler National Strategic Accounts Manager
BASF Automotive Refinish has hired Christopher Kugler as its new National Strategic Accounts Manager. Most recently, Kugler was the Director of Automotive Aftermarket at ILJIN USA, a producer of wheel bearings and other automotive components. Prior to that position, Kugler was the North American National Accounts Manager for Saint-Gobain (Norton) Abrasives in the collision repair […]
UN Calls for Active Safety Systems to Be Standard Equipment in Automobiles
Measure promotes the adoption of active safety systems such as electronic stability control and autonomous emergency braking. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution which represents the strongest ever commitment on road safety made by UN Member States. The resolution supports the ambitious road safety targets now included in the Global Goals for Sustainable […]
FinishMaster Acquires Jobber in Minneapolis/St. Paul
FinishMaster, Inc., the subsidiary of Uni-Select Inc. (TSE: UNS) announced it has completed the acquisition of Zitco, Inc. doing business as Lowell’s PCE in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. Lowell’s has operated a single-location in the Minneapolis/St. Paul market for more than 40 years. “Our companies share a customer-centric focus and our commitment to excellence […]
Over 200 Students Attend Collision Repair Education Foundation Denver Career Fair
Over 200 tech students visited Garmat USA manufacturing facility last week for the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s Denver Cars Careers and Celebrity event. The students were also the first to witness the unveiling of Garmat USA’s new R&D and Training facility. The facility has actually been in place since Garmat’s inception in 1988, but recently […]
Fenix Parts Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2015 Results
Fenix Parts, Inc. (NASDAQ: FENX) announced fourth quarter and full year 2015 results. Fenix completed its IPO and the acquisitions of its eight founding companies in May 2015, an acquisition (Ocean County Auto Wreckers) in August 2015 and two additional acquisitions (Butler Auto Sales and Parts and Tri-City Auto Salvage) in October 2015. Consolidated revenues […]
Interview: Bruce Bares, CEO, Certified Collision Group
Bares details how the collision repair industry’s newest network, of OEM-certified collision centers, wants to help progressive repairers, who’ve invested in modern technology work, with the insurance industry and get a return on their investment. It’s not exactly news that interest in vehicle manufacturer certification programs is growing among independent repair facility operators. As collision […]
PA Governor Approves Photo Appraisal Bill
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf yesterday signed House Bill 1638 (HB 1638) that amends the Motor Vehicle Physical Damage Appraiser Act to remove a prohibition against using photographs to prepare collision repair damage estimates. The bill had been opposed by Pennsylvania Collision Trade Guild who testified against the legislation during a hearing before the Senate Banking […]
Police Reported Crashes Up Over 6% in 2014, 16% Due to Distracted Driving
According to research just released by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) both the number of police reported crashes and the percentage that involved distracted driving increased in 2014. According to the report: The overall number of police reported crashes surpassed 6 million in 2014, up 6.6 percent from 2013 […]