CollisionCast

As insurers tighten their purse strings and adopt more stringent policies, shop owners must navigate this evolving landscape with adaptability and resilience. As Tiffany Menefee, president of Pronto Body Shop in El Paso, Texas, notes in her December column, by focusing on strong customer relationships, meticulous documentation, and strategic business practices, repair shops can weather the storm and continue to thrive. She joins the CollisionCast to talk more about this and how shops can partner with what some may see as an unlikely ally, the personal injury industry, who also face some of the same challenges but have more influence to help change the industry.

Weeks after the recent Longshoreman strikes, we had a conversation with Ryan Mandell, director of claims performance for Mitchell International, Inc.
He discusses how these events are impacting the collision repair industry and how to prepare for more logistical complications that may arise.

According to Drew Bryant, owner of DB Orlando Collision and monthly FenderBender columnist, one of the most persistent and damaging myths in the world of auto repairs is that insurance companies are on the consumer's side.
In his October column, he talks about the illusion of trust and how collision shop owners and consumers must work together to demand fair treatment and high-quality repairs.
In today's episode, Drew talks about empowering our customers and enhancing the quality of our industry. Check out Drew's column here
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Like many professionals, you probably thought about gathering the knowledge you gained during your time in the collision industry and passing it on to the next generation. If you want to know more about that transition, listen to Brian Pierce, the head of the collision repair program at Rosedale Technical College in Pittsburgh. He has valuable insights into being and becoming an instructor.

Tom Wolf, director of strategic accounts and OEM aftersales at PPG Automotive Refinish, joins the CollisionCast to discuss why it's important to research refinishing considerations that may affect ADAS. It's a step that should be undertaken during repair planning, and PPG is one of the sponsors of the inaugural FenderBender and ABRN Best Repair Planner/Estimator Award.
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The industry is constantly evolving through technology, often lacking the training or educational tools to maintain success, along with facing a shortage of young professionals entering the field. 
 
Collision repair associations across the country help meet those needs. 
 
For this CollisionCast, we speak with Megan Mueller, the founder and president of the Mountain States Collision Repair Association (MSCRA). She is also the co-owner of Ozzie’s Body Shop in Loveland, Colorado. She shared insights into the formation and vision of the association.  

Mary Mahoney, vice president of the Replacement & Leisure Division at Enterprise Mobility, and Matt Ebert, founder and CEO of Crash Champions, join the CollisionCast to talk about recruiting for the collision repair industry and the Collision Engineering program. The Collision Engineering program will be the primary beneficiary of the upcoming Crash Champions Golf Outing, Dec. 5 at Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point, California. In the past year, Crash Champions has hosted more than 25 Collision Engineering students as apprentices in its Skills Training Education Program (STEP) at its repair centers throughout the U.S.For more information on the Collision Engineering program, go to https://www.beacollisionengineer.com.
For more information on Crash Champions' STEP, go to https://step.crashchampions.com
And for information on how you can join in the golf tournament or be a sponsor, go to https://crashchampions.com/2024-Golf-Outing.
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The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) made an impact at the recent American School Counselor Association (ASCA) conference, where school counselors considered alternative career options for the students they guide.

The I-CAR Academy curriculum is designed to prepare entry-level technicians for a collision repair career. I-CAR Director of Product Management Jesus Guerrero talks about how the Academy, with guided hands-on learning and gamification in five foundational learning areas, helps new hires become productive technicians.

AI is making an impact across all sectors of business, including collision repair.
FenderBender speaks with Ryan Taylor, the founder and CEO of Body Shop Booster, to learn more about what he is doing to develop AI for collision repairers and how AI can impact the industry.