CollisionCast

There are a number of reasons why you might consider repairing certain plastic parts, including lack of availability of replacement parts, their prohibitive replacement cost, and the rise in customer pay work.

How plastic automotive parts are repaired has evolved, but with concern over affecting ADAS functionality, it’s also important to view each repair on a case-by-case basis.

To learn more about the state of today’s plastic repairs, in today’s episode I talk with Frank Phillips Jr., CEO of 4Plastic.

Built around proactive microlearning, Collision ProAssist's BackBay Discord community replaces one-size-fits-all training and opinion-driven social media advice with documented, expert-backed answers that improve estimate accuracy, capture overlooked operations, and strengthen communication between the front office and the shop floor. 

In this episode, Collision ProAssist's Jason Bartanen explains how BackBay and its newest extension, BackBay Estimator — addresses a critical gap in the collision repair industry by connecting technicians and estimators directly with OEMs, equipment manufacturers, and product experts for tailored, real-time guidance. 

By helping repair planners or estimators understand the technical “why” behind required procedures, Back Bay Estimator supports better customer and insurer conversations, increased shop profitability, and technicians being paid for all work performed, and that ultimately creates safer repairs and a more aligned, knowledgeable repair team.

Are you ready to let go of beliefs, habits, emotions, and stories that no longer serve you?

In this special Endeavor to Discover episode, Endeavor B2B’s Chris Messer is joined by Mike Jones of Discover Leadership and Louie Sharp, owner of Sharp Auto Body in Chicago.

By changing the internal narrative, practicing self-worth, and being curious instead of judgmental—especially in leadership situations—people can build trust, stronger relationships, and healthier cultures. The discussion highlights that everyone controls their response to circumstances, and that lasting success requires releasing control, punishment, blame, and outdated motivations. Growth is a lifelong process, and moving forward means giving up what once helped you but now holds you back.

How do you manage safety, human resources, and environmental regulations and management?

Wayne Curtis, CEO of KPA, has over 20 years of firsthand experience working with collision centers and auto body shops to help them balance compliance with the challenges of focusing on daily operations. He explains the reasons why although the Trump administration has softened certain safety and environmental regulations, now is not the time to grow complacent.

He built 14 stores. Then he sold 10 of them — one by one — during one of the toughest economic downturns in modern history.

In Fearless to Courageous, James Baxter reveals the sleepless nights, payroll fears, and hard leadership decisions that reshaped his company, and why focusing on four strong stores made him more profitable than ever before.

If you’re an entrepreneur navigating growth, succession, or tough calls about the future of your business, this episode delivers real-world insight on vision, culture, and the courage it takes to right the ship.

The Women’s Industry Network’s mission is to attract, develop, and promote women into collision repair professions. And there is still time to register for Empowering Excellence, the 2026 WIN Conference, May 4-6 in Tucson, Arizona. Blair Womble, director of strategic account services with Caliber Collision; and Nicole Carpenter, head of marketing at VIVE Collision, join the CollisionCast to tell our listeners what to look forward to at the event!

More drivers these days are choosing to pay out of pocket instead of filing an insurance claim. At FenderBender, we know of some shop owners reporting as much as a 30 percent increase in customer-pay work.

In today’s episode, Rich Harrison, CEO of MSO CollisionRight, explains the reasons for this shift, how this evolution creates both pressure and opportunity, and how shop owners and operators can adjust to this new paradigm, including offering easy financing options.

Safety inspections, including but not limited to restraint systems, steering gear, and collapsible steering columns, are of utmost importance when required by an OEM. But with the amount of procedure research required, they can be labor-intensive before the toolbox even opens. Here to talk about those inspections is Gerry Rosenbarker, general manager of Mohawk Collision Center, and two members of his crew, Mechanical Technician Tyler Foote and Collision Parts Consultant Jeremy Godbout. We discuss how their workload has been lightened through the use of Collision Vision, an all-in-one portal that helps shops track everything from OEM and technician certifications to employee training and the proper tools and equipment required for a job. Collision Vision co-founder Andrew Suggs gives us updates to platform since we first wrote about it in the July issue.

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t your goals — but how you’re framing them?

In the second part of this two-part podcast, Dave Luehr of Elite Body Shop Solutions joins the CollisionCast to discuss how a transformational approach to the customer experience can allow you to have customers for life through your unique selling propositions. If you have OEM certifications, we discuss ways you can maximize your ROI at the dealership service lane, plus how to change what you can control over insurer pushback. They're just a few ways independent shops can win in 2026.