Fix Auto USA announced the addition of five new franchise locations, bringing Fix Auto USA’s total number of locations to 148. The additional locations expand Fix Auto USA’s geographic footprint in multiple markets including: Northern California, the greater Phoenix area, and Southern California. The locations include: Fix Auto Berkeley (Berkeley, CA) -Formerly Platinum Collision Center; […]
CARSTAR Chilton Auto Body Celebrates Grand Opening
CARSTAR hosted a grand opening event in celebration of its largest multi-store owner joining the CARSTAR family. CARSTAR Chilton Auto Body, that announced it was joining the CARSTAR network last summer, has 11 collision repair centers in the San Francisco Bay area of California. In honor of the innovative multi-store owner joining the network, CARSTAR […]
White House and California Discontinue Talks on Proposed Auto Emissions Regulations
On February 21, officials from the White House, Department of Transportation, and Environmental Protection Agency announced that the Trump Administration has decided to discontinue discussions with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regarding the proposed Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule. Despite the Administration’s best efforts to reach a common-sense solution, it is time to […]
Autonomous Vehicles Permit Holders Report More Than 2 Million Test Miles in California
Critics say reports show technology not living up to hype though performance varies widely across companies. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reported that companies with a permit to test autonomous vehicles in California with a safety driver reported their technology drove more than 2 million miles in autonomous mode during the most recent […]
NABR Launches New Version of Its California Labor Rate Survey
National AutoBody Research (NABR) announced the launch of its newly revised California Standardized Auto Body Labor Rate Survey, based on the labor rate survey format defined by the California Department of Insurance (CDI). As new laws in California for storage took effect at the New Year, and to respond to market activity in California, NABR […]
Progressive Plans to Hire More Than 10,000 in 2019
Progressive Insurance announced it expects to hire more than 10,000 people in the coming year to support its growth. The company has grown more than 50 percent in the last three years to $30 billion in revenue for 2018. Positions the company will offer include IT and analyst roles, corporate functions, customer care and claims […]
California Moves to Restrict Methylene Chloride in Paint Strippers
New regulation requires manufacturers to consider replacing methylene chloride with safer ingredients. As of January 1, manufacturers of paint and varnish strippers containing methylene chloride, a chemical that the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) says has contributed to numerous deaths, will have to look for safer alternatives if they want to continue selling […]
CARSTAR Adds Two Collision Repair Centers to Network in California
CARSTAR, announced the addition of two new California facilities, CARSTAR Body Best Collision of Sonoma and CARSTAR Body Best Collision of Suisun, to its network. Dino Di Giulio has owned the 8,500 sq. ft. Sonoma repair center for over 28 years. CARSTAR Body Best Collision of Suisun, an 8,000 square foot facility, is Di Giulio’s […]
California Regulator Takes Control of Small Failing Insurer Impacted by Wildfires
Deadliest and most destructive fire in California history overwhelms Merced Property & Casualty Company. The California Insurance Department took expedited legal action to secure the assets of and take control of Merced Property & Casualty Company, in an effort to protect the company’s policyholders, including those who suffered losses in the Camp Fire. provided both […]
CARSTAR Adds Two Collision Repair Centers to its Network in California
CARSTAR announced the opening of two new California facilities, CARSTAR McLaren Lake Forest and CARSTAR McLaren Irvine. Owned by husband and wife team, James and Mary Davis, CARSTAR McLaren Lake Forest and CARSTAR McLaren Irvine are a family business. James Davis came from a collision repair family, with both his father and brother in the […]