Kemper Corporation (NYSE: KMPR) announced that it has an agreement to acquire American Access Casualty Company and its related captive insurance agency, Newins Insurance Agency Holdings, LLC, and its subsidiaries (AAC), in a cash transaction valued at $370 million. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approval […]
IAA Relocates St. Louis East Branch to Larger Facility
IAA, Inc. (NYSE: IAA) announced the relocation and expansion of its St. Louis East branch to Caseyville, Illinois. This new location, approximately twelve miles from St. Louis, Mo., updates the branch facilities and supports IAA’s growth in this expanding market. The new site accommodates the increased capacity needs of the company’s customers. “IAA is pleased […]
Cushman & Wakefield Brokers $30 Million Sale/Leaseback of Crash Champions Collision Repair Center Properties
Cushman & Wakefield announced today the firm successfully executed a $30 million sale leaseback of a multiple collision repair facility operator Crash Champions property portfolio in the Greater Chicago region. The deal transacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Managing Director Jack Chang with Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller and sourced the buyer in the deal. […]
Collision Repair Education Foundation November 20 Fundraiser to Benefit Chicago’s Kennedy-King College
Kennedy-King College’s collision repair program, the only post-secondary collision program within the City Colleges of Chicago, will receive half of the funds raised during a Collision Repair Education Foundation’s (CREF) event at TopGolf Schaumburg on Friday, November 20th from 6-9 p.m. (CST). Funds raised during the networking event will help allow Kennedy-King’s collision program to […]
CARSTAR Adds Collision Repair Center to Network in Illinois
CARSTAR announced the opening of CARSTAR Geneva Body Shop, a 25,000 sq. ft. collision repair center, located at 901 N. Raddant Road, in Batavia, Ill. Owner of CARSTAR Geneva Body Shop, Pasquale Roppo, has been in the collision repair industry for over 35 years. Originally from Italy, Pasquale moved to the U.S. and got a […]
NICB Reports Texas Continues to Take the Top Spot for Hail Claims
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today, released a three-year analysis of insurance claims associated with hail storms in the United States. The report is based on a review of claims data from ISO ClaimSearch during the period of January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2019, totaling 2,769,362 hail loss claims. The top five states […]
Axalta Antimicrobial Technology Used In Chicago’s McCormick Place For Coronavirus Patients
Axalta (NYSE:AXTA) announced that it will supply E&R Powder Coating with more than 7,000 pounds of its Alesta AM powder coatings for bed frames at a temporary hospital at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill., which is being used for coronavirus patients. “Axalta’s Alesta AM is being applied to these new beds to ensure that the […]
Pacific Elite and Crash Champions Merge
Pacific Elite, the family owned operator of collision repair shops in California, today announced a merger with Crash Champions, LLC, a leading regional collision repair business in the greater Chicago area. The newly combined company (CombineCo) will be the 5th largest independent MSO in the country according to the company, with an established presence in […]
AASPI Affiliates with SCRS
The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) announced that the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Illinois (AASPI) joined SCRS as an Affiliate Association. AASPI was originally formed in the early 1960s as a Chicago area repair association for both mechanical and collision. While the name a structure of the organization has taken different forms […]
OEM Collision Repair Procedures Legislation Introduced in Illinois
Bill would require insurers to base claim payments on, and collision repairers to use, vehicle manufacturer compliant repair procedures. Excludes OEM parts mandates, but requires use of like, kind and quality. Legislation introduced February 13 in Illinois, the fourth largest collision repair market in the U.S., seeks to require both auto insurance companies and collision […]