In this episode, we explore the critical role that training and development play in driving success at CARSTAR, one of the leading collision repair networks in the country. Our guest, a proud CARSTAR owner, opens up about the inspiration behind making employee growth a top priority and how this focus has transformed both their team and customer experience. 

For anyone who has ever uttered the words, “failure is not an option,” Mike Jones, president and master trainer at Discover Leadership Training, has a message you should consider. In this special edition of CollisionCast, Jones, who works extensively with small to medium-sized business owners and their teams on evolving to improve, talks with Chris Messer, the executive vice president of the Transportation Group at Endeavor Business Media, FenderBender’s parent company, on why “Failure isn’t Fatal.” If you’ve ever said the words, “failure is not an option,” then this episode is especially for you.

At a time when many across the country are experiencing slowing sales, Greg Lobsiger, owner of Loren's Body Shop in Bluffton, Indiana, and monthly FenderBender Shop Profits columnist, had the best sales month since his grandfather opened the shop in 1951. Lobsiger offers a message of hope and a few tips shop owners and operators can implement immediately, and at little cost, to help bring more dollars through the door.

The on-again, off-again nature of the various tariffs that apply to our industry can be confusing. To help our listeners gain a better understanding of what tariffs currently apply and how they could soon affect collision repairers, we talk with veteran analyst PartsTrader Chief Industry Relations Officer Greg Horn. Go here for a summary on FenderBender.com of Greg's blog post, as well as a link to the original post. 

In California, the Bureau of Automotive Repair is implementing new regulations July 1 that will change how collision repairers will do business. 

Andrew Batenhorst, body shop manager of Pacific BMW in Glendale, California, Glendale and Foothill chapter president of the California Autobody Association, and FenderBender columnist, joins the CollisionCast to talk about five principal areas of change that will affect repair shops.

Vehicle complexity, including the growing average number of replacement parts — up by 15% — and lightweight parts that more often need to be replaced instead of repaired, means repair times are longer and the labor required for this is more specialized.

This has increased severity. Meanwhile, claims frequency is down. In this CollisionCast episode, John Barbagallo, strategic advisor for fleet safety and compliance telematics firm SambaSafety, talks about some of the reasons for that, as well as the driving behaviors defined by insurers as high-risk. SambaSafety just released its 2025 Driver Risk Report. Click here to learn more.

A paint booth is essentially a large air mover. The freer air can move in and out, the better off you'll be. But if a booth is imbalanced, the air can be turbulent and dirty, and that creates more work to sand out and polish dirt nibs. In this CollisionCast episode, sponsored by Accudraft Paint Booths, Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht sits down with Jeremy Winters, content and marketing at Accudraft, to talk about the importance of having the right amount of airflow for each refinish coating.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, formed in 1949 by what is now known as Mental Health America. This year, its campaign theme is "Turn Awareness into Action," which celebrates "the progress we've made in recognizing the importance of mental health — and challenging us to turn understanding into meaningful steps toward change."

In this month's FenderBender magazine feature, Andy Tylka, owner of TAG Auto Group in Indiana, understands these challenges firsthand. And he’s working hard to ensure that his employees have the mental health resources they need, with no shame attached. We followed up with him for this CollisionCast to learn more about how he's helping not only his employees but their children, and the automotive industry at large, see how there should not be a stigma around mental healthcare.

Join this episode of the CollisionCast, in which Mike Brockway, owner of Dabler Auto Body & Collision Repair in Salem, Oregon, talks with Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht about some of the challenges facing the collision repair industry today, including pushback from insurers on certain line items, and how he plans to meet the challenges in the coming months.

Beginning in May, 3M is rolling out its new Front Office Collision Repair Training course.

Intended for repair planners/estimators, adjusters, collision repair shop managers and owners, the focus of the three-day course is on foundational processes in the body repair and paint shop areas.

The course is aimed at helping these front office professionals better understand the repair process and promote accurate repair plan/estimate writing and communication to insurance claims for higher quality repairs.