CARSTAR announced the opening of its first Minnesota location, CARSTAR Bighley Auto Body, located at 2409 Margaret Street N., in North St. Paul. A three-generation business for this family of repairers, Mike Bighley, owner of CARSTAR Bighley Auto Body, has grown up in the industry. Sweeping floors, washing cars and cleaning the parking lot were […]
GMG EnviroSafe Acquires Compliance Services, Inc.
GMG EnviroSafe, the provider of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) services in the automotive repair industry, announced the acquisition of Minneapolis, Minn.-based Compliance Services, Inc. Compliance Services, founded in 1995, provides EHS compliance assistance to small-to-medium sized companies across many different industries in the Midwest. “Our acquisition of Compliance Services accelerates GMG’s strategy to expand […]
Minnesota Legislation Seeks to Enact New Collision Repair Steering Restrictions
Legislation would also prohibit insurers from disregarding estimating system procedure pages or OEM collision repair procedures. A bill introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives on May 20 seeks to amend the state’s existing standards for automobile claims handling expanding restrictions on steering prohibiting an insurer from attempting to influence consumers choice of a repair […]
Fix Auto USA Enters Minnesota With Two Franchise Collision Repair Centers
Fix Auto USA announced the addition of two franchise collision repair locations in Minn., marking the tenth state for the franchise network of independently-owned repairers looking to compete in a consolidating marketplace. These two new locations, Fix Auto Brooklyn Park and Fix Auto Maple Grove, are locally owned and operated by Franchise Partner Matthew Feehan; […]
Refinish Distributors Alliance Adds New Member
The Refinish Distributors Alliance (RDA) announced that Automotive Parts Headquarters Inc. (APH),a third generation family-owned aftermarket auto parts distributor and store group based in Saint Cloud, Minn. has joined the group. APH was established in 1920 in Minneapolis, as National Bushing & Parts Company, and today operates Auto Value parts stores throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, North […]
AASP-MN Announces $16,000 in Automotive and Collision Repair Scholarships
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota (AASP-MN) announced scholarship awards totaling $16,000 to help automotive service and collision repair students pay for tuition or tools during the 2019-20 school year. The scholarships are in the amount of $1,000 per student and were made possible by a successful fundraising drive within the AASP-MN membership, […]
IAA Announces Branch Expansions in Five States
Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. (IAA), a business unit of KAR Auction Services (NYSE:KAR), announced expansions at branches in five states. The expansions have added more than 110 acres to IAA’s footprint in Alabama, Arkansas, Minnesota, New York, and Texas to address sellers’ logistical needs and provide increased inventory options for buyers. “By anticipating our current […]
AASP-MN Legislative Initiative on OEM Collision Repair Procedures Cut Short
The AASP-MN announced its proposal to make it an unfair claims practice for an insurance company to refuse payment for a collision repair procedure that is called for by an original vehicle manufacturer was pulled from the House Commerce Committee Agenda last week, effectively ending prospects for passage this Legislative Session. The bill initially sought […]
1Collision Adds 10th Collision Repair Center to its Network in Minnesota
The 1Collision Network announced that Jerald Stiele, a 1Collision Network shop owner, has acquired The Collision Center in Golden Valley, Minn. The store is Stiele’s second location, and the 10th 1Collision affiliated location in the state. Stiele said, “Hopkins Auto Body is delighted to grow our business with the acquisition of Collision Center, with a […]
1Collision Adds Collision Repair Centers to Network in Minnesota, Illinois, Enters Massachusetts and Tennessee Markets
The 1Collision Network announced it has added its first East Coast location, Colonial Collision in Worcester Mass., owned by Joe O’Connell. Colonial has rebranded as 1Collision Worcester. O’Connell commented, “I’m excited to implement the 1Collision Marketing Program geared to consumers, insurers, and OE’s; one of a number of programs I will be implementing. “ 1Collision […]