Registration deadline July 10. The California Autobody Association’s Los Angeles/Orange County chapter will hold a dinner meeting July 15 at Old Ranch Golf Club in Seal Beach centered on fair claims practices, current California claims law and strategies for getting paid for complete repairs. The session will feature collision repair trainers Bryan Thomas and Tim […]
Automotive Recyclers Association Welcomes ‘Freedom to Fix’ Memo, Renews Push on Recycled Catalytic Converters
The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) welcomed the presidential memorandum on emissions-related repairs that President Donald Trump signed June 29, casting it as federal recognition of the role replacement parts play in lowering repair costs and using the moment to renew its push for clearer rules on the reuse of recycled catalytic converters. The memorandum, titled […]
IBIS Global Summit 2027 Flagship Event Set for Lisbon
Organizers closed the June 16-18 conference by unveiling a 2027 calendar that includes IBIS North America March 2-3 and moves the Global Summit to Lisbon. The 2026 IBIS Global Summit concluded June 18 in Vienna, Austria, drawing senior leaders from across the global collision repair ecosystem for programming built around the theme “Connecting Changemakers.” The […]
AAA Forecasts Record 72.2 Million July 4th Travelers, 61.4 Million by Car
Driving volume holds near last year’s record as pump prices reach four-year highs. AAA projects 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home during Independence Day week, a domestic record that edges past the 71.8 million who traveled for the holiday in 2025 and keeps road trips near an all-time high heading […]
Women’s Industry Network Details Speaker Lineup, Curriculum for Second Annual Virtual Conference
Two-day online event pairs technical breakouts on structural adhesives, glue pull repair and refinish with leadership and workforce sessions. Early-bird pricing ends July 10. The Women’s Industry Network has announced the speaker lineup and session curriculum for its second annual Virtual Conference, a two-day online event set for Sept. 10-11 that pairs hands-on technical training […]
Norfolk CBP Officers Seize About $170,000 in Chinese Struts and Shocks in Fraudulent Import
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized about $170,000 in automotive struts and shock absorbers shipped from China at the Port of Norfolk, Va., on June 23 after determining the importer used fraudulent documents to conceal its identity, the agency said. The case is a departure from CBP’s recent auto-parts interdictions in the Mid-Atlantic, which […]
IIHS Says 30 Years of Crash Testing Have Saved Nearly 50,000 Lives
A new study credits the insurer-funded institute’s crashworthiness ratings with 48,352 fewer traffic deaths from 1999 to 2024 and an estimated $538 billion in societal savings. Vehicle improvements driven by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s crashworthiness testing program have saved an estimated 48,352 lives, according to a new study the institute released to mark […]
BASF Coatings Completes Sale to Carlyle, Relaunches as Surventis
The automotive OEM, refinish and surface treatment business begins operating July 1 as a standalone company under Carlyle Group and Qatar Investment Authority ownership, with BASF retaining a 40% stake. The automotive coatings business formerly known as BASF Coatings began operating July 1 as an independent company under a new name, Surventis, a day after […]
Brownsville Repeats as Safest Driving City, Boston as Riskiest, in Allstate’s 18th Best Drivers Report
Allstate pairs its claim frequency rankings with new Drivewise telematics data on speeding, phone use, hard braking and nighttime driving. Brownsville, Texas, ranked as the safest U.S. city for driving for the second consecutive year while Boston again ranked the most collision-prone, according to Allstate’s 2026 America’s Best Drivers Report released July 1. Drivers in […]
ASE Acquires WrenchWay to Expand Technician Workforce Development
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) said June 30 it has acquired WrenchWay, the workforce platform the certification body has partnered with over the past year to recruit and develop service technicians. WrenchWay’s co-founders and employees will join ASE as part of the agreement. Terms were not disclosed. The deal brings in-house a […]