The investment firm The Carlyle Group, together with management and employees of Service King Collision Repair Centers, announced they will acquire majority ownership in the chain of auto body repair shops. Founder Eddie Lennox will retain a significant ownership stake in Service King. Chief Executive Officer Cathy Bonner will become Chairman representing Lennox on the […]
Ameriprise Launches Online Claims Handling for Non-DRP Shops
New ‘Shop of Choice’ program designed to ease repair process through out of network shops. Ameriprise Auto & Home Insurance launched a new program last week that it hopes will improve its collision repair claims service through non-direct repair facilities. The company, which primarily writes auto insurance on a direct to consumer model in 44 […]
Assured Performance and CARFAX Sign Reporting Deal
Assured Performance Network announced that they have entered into an agreement with CARFAX to report when a vehicle is repaired using 100 percent OEM Collision repair parts if it is already reported as damaged. The repair reporting also requires the shop and consumer’s permission. Buyers and sellers of used cars will now have information about […]
Last CIC Meeting of 2010 Hits Data Privacy, Repair Standards
New chairman comments on plan for results-oriented process for CIC. Although the results of the recent crash testing of non-OEM parts by Ford and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, previously reported on CollisionWeek, were among the topics at the most recent Collision Industry Conference (CIC), the quarterly gathering focused on a variety of other […]
DuPont Names Vanlancker VP of Performance Coatings for EMEA Region
DuPont named Thierry Vanlancker as Vice President of Performance Coatings for the company’s Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA) region, effective December 1. Vanlancker, 46, currently global business and market director for DuPont Fluorochemicals since 2006, has held a range of business leadership roles in sales, marketing and technical capacities since joining the company in 1988. His assignments […]
Sterling Autobody Completes System-Wide Waterborne Conversion
Sterling Autobody Centers announced it has completed its network-wide conversion to waterborne paint. The transition began in June and took less than three months to complete. All 62 Sterling locations are presently using the waterborne system. Sterling President Nick Notte said “I am pleased with the speed of the transition. I commend Sterling leadership for […]
NSF Certifies First Aftermarket Parts Through New Program
NSF International has completed the certification of the first group of parts through its new Automotive Aftermarket Parts Certification Program. NSF’s Parts Certification Program was launched in order to offer independent, third-party testing and certification of only those aftermarket structural parts that replicate the safety and damage criteria design of the original vehicle part. Diamond […]
Three Massachusetts Repair Associations Unite
On May 24, three Massachusetts collision repair and automotive service associations became united in a historic undertaking. During a special industry dinner meeting held in Marlborough, Ma., the three associations – the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Massachusetts (AASP/MA), the Massachusetts Auto Body Association (MABA) and the Central Massachusetts Auto Rebuilders Association (CMARA) – […]
Aftermarket Parts Certification Program Launched by NSF International
ANSI accredited certifier expects tested bumper parts to be available in 6-8 weeks. NSF International today announced the launch of a new Automotive Parts Certification Program to address concerns regarding consumer safety and compromised automobile crashworthiness from the use of untested aftermarket structural parts. NSF says the one-of-a-kind program verifies both the quality and performance […]
Diamond Standard Announces Safety Parts Certification Program
In response to the alerts raised by recent presentations at NACE in November 2009, and the Collision Industry Conference in January 2010, Diamond Standard announced that it has accelerated the time frame for its planned launch of a full certification program for safety parts. The company is itself a US based manufacturer of high strength […]