Autel U.S. opened applications May 29 for the second year of its Autel Awarding Excellence Scholarships, expanding eligibility beyond recent graduates to adult learners moving into automotive education from other careers. The program will award five $5,000 scholarships, for a total of $25,000, to students enrolled in automotive programs at trade schools, colleges or universities. […]
San Antonio Towing Company to Pay $280,000 Over Illegally Sold Servicemember Vehicles
San Antonio-based Vehicle Management Solutions Inc. will pay $280,000 to resolve U.S. Justice Department allegations that it illegally sold or scrapped about 93 vehicles owned by U.S. servicemembers in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), the department announced May 28. Under the settlement, the company known as VMS will pay $220,000 in compensation […]
Progressive Reports Personal Auto Policies in Force Up 10.2% in April Compared to 2025
Net premiums written up 6% year over year as combined ratio deteriorates 5.3 points on spring storm losses. The Progressive Corporation (NYSE: PGR) reported its total personal auto insurance policies in force were 27,753,000 in April 2026, an increase of 2,569,000 or 10.2% from 25,184,000 in April 2025. The April figures show personal auto policy […]
ASE June 4 Webinar to Cover New MVAC Refrigerants R-444A and R-456A
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) will host a free webinar June 4 at 4 p.m. (EDT) titled “R-444A and R-456A — New Refrigerants for MVAC Service.” The session will be presented by Chuck Abbott, global marketing manager at Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials, and Adam Kimmel of Orbia. They will discuss R-444A […]
LKQ Reports Deeper Emissions Reduction in 2025 Sustainability Report
LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ: LKQ) published its 2025 Sustainability Report on May 27, reporting that it processed approximately 284,000 vehicles and reused, refurbished or remanufactured more than 4.9 million parts during the year. “At LKQ, sustainability starts with how we run the business, embedded in our strategy and reflected in our operating discipline focused on long-term […]
CAWA Awards More Than $14,000 in Scholarships to 14 Students
The California Automotive Wholesalers Association awarded more than $14,000 in scholarships to 14 students pursuing careers in the automotive parts industry, the trade group announced. CAWA represents parts manufacturers, jobbers, warehouse distributors, retailers and program groups in Arizona, California and Nevada. The awards feed a talent pipeline that the collision repair and auto care sectors […]
Kemper Names Stephen McAnena President and CEO
Kemper Corporation (NYSE: KMPR) said May 27 that Stephen J. McAnena will become president and chief executive effective June 1, ending a roughly seven-month interim period and capping the search for a permanent successor to Joseph P. Lacher Jr. The company also named Anthony J. DeSantis to its board of directors, effective the same day. […]
AkzoNobel Rejects Joint Cash Bid From Nippon Paint, Sherwin-Williams
Disclosure of offer comes in advance of the public U.S. SEC filing detailing proposed AkzoNobel-Axalta merger. Akzo Nobel N.V. (AMS: AKZA; OTCMKTS: AKZOY) rejected a conditional, non-binding joint cash bid from Nippon Paint Holdings Co. and The Sherwin-Williams Company that would have broken up the Dutch coatings maker, opting to proceed with its $25 billion […]
Caliber Expands Fleet Solutions Division, Partners With Fixico on Digital Repair Coordination
Caliber has expanded its fleet repair offering under a dedicated business line called Caliber Fleet Solutions and entered a partnership with Amsterdam-based Fixico to provide digital coordination of repairs across collision, glass, mobile and diagnostic services for U.S. commercial fleet operators. The agreement marks Fixico’s entry into the U.S. market. The expanded offering pairs Caliber’s […]
Carfax Used Car Index Rises in Every Segment in May, Led by Hybrids and EVs
Used-vehicle listing prices on Carfax rose across all seven vehicle segments tracked by the company in May, with the cross-segment month-over-month increase averaging 3.1% — more than $870 per vehicle — and hybrids and electric vehicles posting the largest gain at 4.6%, or roughly $1,450 per listing, according to data released by Carfax. For collision […]