The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) has named its 2026 Executive Committee, a seven-member leadership group tasked with expanding the nonprofit’s workforce development and school support programs as the collision repair industry contends with a persistent technician shortage. Brenda Hogen of PartsTrader continues as chair. Kayla Williams Clark of Classic Collision moves into the vice […]
Auto Care Association Webinar to Address Supreme Court IEEPA Ruling, Section 232 Auto Parts Tariffs
The Auto Care Association will host a webinar March 18 examining the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling striking down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and other trade developments affecting automotive aftermarket importers. The session comes as the collision repair and automotive aftermarket industries navigate a rapidly shifting tariff […]
ALLDATA Marks 40th Anniversary of OEM Repair Information Platform
ALLDATA, the AutoZone-owned provider of original equipment manufacturer repair and diagnostic data, is celebrating 40 years since it introduced the collision repair and mechanical service industries to digitized OEM repair procedures. The milestone, announced March 9, comes as the Elk Grove, Calif.-based company says its platform now supports more than 400,000 technicians and 115,000 collision […]
Manitoba Introduces Right to Repair Legislation With Sector-by-Sector Regulatory Framework
The Government of Manitoba, Canada has introduced Right to Repair legislation that would establish a sector-by-sector regulatory framework focused on ensuring access to repair information and parts, the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada) announced March 12. The legislation, Bill 15, the Consumer Protection Amendment Act, does not reference any specific industry but lays […]
GEICO’s Derrell Burgin Appointed to Plasnomic Plastic Repair Alliance Council
Derrell Burgin, senior director of physical damage claims at GEICO, has joined the Plastic Repair Alliance Council at Plasnomic, the organization announced March 12. Burgin is the third insurer representative appointed to the council in recent months. Allstate Auto Technical Claims Director Mike Bundra joined in January, and Allianz UK Network Manager Michael Golding was […]
Southern California Tow Company Owners Arrested in $5.9 Million Workers’ Compensation Fraud Scheme
Brothers alleged to have underreported payroll by nearly 14 million to lower insurance costs. Brothers Mark Hassan, 46, of Corona Del Mar, and Ahmed Hassan, 35, of Walnut, Calif. were arrested March 11 on multiple felony insurance fraud charges after a California Department of Insurance investigation found the pair allegedly underreported nearly $13.7 million in […]
Team PRP Acquires Recyclers CrossDock
Team PRP has acquired Recyclers CrossDock from owner Bo Wroten, the cooperative network of independently owned automotive recyclers announced March 11. “Recyclers CrossDock has long been a vital partner in the trade of recycled automotive parts,” said Jarret Hann, Team PRP executive director and president. “By transitioning ownership to Team PRP, we will be better […]
WIN Names Four Recipients of 2026 Most Influential Women Awards
The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) announced the recipients of its 2026 Most Influential Women (MIW) awards March 8, coinciding with International Women’s Day. The annual awards, established in 1999, are considered one of the collision repair industry’s highest honors, recognizing women whose leadership and professional accomplishments have shaped the industry. More than 130 women have […]
U.S. National Average Gas Price Surges to $3.60 as Crude Oil Tops $100 per Barrel
The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline hit $3.598 March 12, a nearly 35-cent jump from a week ago and the second consecutive week of sharp increases, AAA reported. Rising fuel costs add to the operating expenses collision repair facilities face across the supply chain, from parts delivery to customer vehicle transportation, […]
CCIF Appoints Five New Steering Committee Members
The Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) has named five new members to its Steering Committee for the 2026-2028 term, drawing representatives from across the collision repair, insurance, and supplier sectors. The appointments continue CCIF’s practice of assembling its committee from different segments of Canada’s collision repair industry. The Steering Committee guides CCIF’s event programming by […]