A settlement agreement was reached Wednesday between Ford Motor Company and LKQ Corporation in the litigation filed by Ford to protect its design patents on collision parts. The settlement provides that LKQ will not challenge the validity and enforceability of Ford’s design patents during the term of the agreement. In exchange, LKQ will become the […]
Judge Halts CCC Mitchell Merger
A district court judge has ordered that the merger between CCC Information Services and Mitchell International Inc. may not proceed until the completion of a full investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). As in many merger cases, the court’s decision may mean the end of the deal between the two companies unless they are […]
Caliber Collision Under New Ownership
Caliber Collision Centers announced that its senior management team, in partnership with a Canadian private equity firm, ONCAP, has become the company’s new owner in a deal that closed October 31. ONCAP is a mid-market private equity firm based in Toronto. The deal gives ONCAP ownership of the company along with certain members of senior […]
Liberty Mutual to Acquire Safeco Corporation
Liberty Mutual Group and Safeco Corporation announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement where Liberty Mutual will acquire all outstanding shares of Safeco for $68.25 per common share in cash. The proposed transaction, which is valued at approximately $6.2 billion, has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies. It is […]
NABC Celebrates 2007 PRIDE Award Recipients
The National Auto Body Council (NABC) announced that its 2007 PRIDE Awards, which recognize industry individuals that perform exceptional humanitarian and benevolent acts, have been bestowed upon four deserving people representing the heart of the collision industry. The awards were presented on October 30 at the Industry Achievement Awards Luncheon held in conjunction with the […]
NABC’s Recycled Rides Program Starts Rolling
The National Auto Body Council (NABC) today announced that its Recycled Rides pilot program has officially launched following the commitment of ten repair facilities eagerly waiting to participate in the pilot. Recycled Rides is a nationwide awareness project that assists members of the NABC to repair and donate recycled vehicles for families in need. As […]
New Investment Group to Buy Mitchell International
Mitchell International, Inc., has signed a definitive agreement to sell the company to an investment group led by Aurora Capital Group and including General Electric Pension Trust. Aurora Capital Group is a Los Angeles-based investment firm formed in 1991 that acquires and builds companies in partnership with operating management. The Firm currently manages approximately $2 […]
American Family Insurance Names New VP of Claims
On heels of repairer uproar surrounding AmFam’s recent switch from Mitchell to Audatex, company names new head of claims. American Family Mutual Insurance Company, the third-largest mutual property and casualty insurer in the nation, has appointed Mark Afable, 49, as vice president of American Family’s claims division effective Monday, November 6. Afable replaces Terese A. […]
Loftus Responds to WMABA
The following was submitted by Sheila Loftus in response to the recent press release from the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association: As the longtime editor and publisher of Hammer and Dolly magazine, I prided myself on getting my facts right. I usually succeeded. When I didn’t, I let my readers know where I’d gone wrong. […]
Open Letter from Washington Metro Auto Body Association
The following is an open letter to the collision repair industry from the Board of Directors of the Washington Metro Auto Body Association: On July 5th, 2006, the WMABA (Washington Metro Auto Body Association) Board of Directors received notice from Sheila Loftus that she was resigning from the position of Editor/Publisher of Hammer and Dolly, […]