The Collision Vision

Today marks a continuation of our technology series here on The Collision Vision. This episode is a high-level overview of where we are in the ever evolving arena of Technology within collision repair.

When approaching this overview, we figured who better to discuss this far-reaching range of topics than a couple of our friends from I-CAR, who continue to help guide the industry through new technical innovations.

Today's guests are Bud Center, director of technical products and curriculum, and Scott Kaboos, principal OEM technical lead and subject matter expert. We cover a lot of topics on today's show, ranging from where we are today, the requirements and ROI for shops looking to invest in the future, and what exactly the future looks like. Enjoy the show!

Connect with I-CAR:

[email protected]

[email protected]

I-CAR.com/ADAS: Central hub for ADAS courses and resources, including I-CAR's two multi-day hands-on ADAS courses taught at the Chicago Technical Center

I-CAR.com/EV: Central hub for EV courses and resources, including I-CAR's 5-Day Hands-On Skills Development course.

Collision Careers: An online resource for parents, counselors, students, and educators to dive into the promising careers within collision repair.

Industry Training Alliance: Through this program, individuals can earn I-CAR training credit for completing education via approved Alliance Partners.

RTS: Now available in an app format, the Repairability Technical Support service is a free resource that provides essential and real-time support, especially to technicians and those doing repair planning.

Just in Time: A short-video series that offers repair insights in 5 minutes or less from I-CAR's technical subject matter experts.

Repairers Realm: I-CAR's live web series, which includes audience Q&A, where I-CAR's technical experts discuss collision repair topics, covering everything from extensive repairs to specific vehicles. With step-by-step demonstrations and special guests from various industry segments, this series format brings comprehensive insights for technicians.

Continuing in our technology series, today's episode focuses specifically on the world of ADAS. Our guest for this episode is Greg Peeters, CEO of CAR ADAS Solutions, a turn-key provider of ADAS Solutions with over 80 locations nationwide. During our conversation, we'll talk all about how the collision repair industry is impacted by ADAS, the results of continuously new technology on the space, the benefit of taking your ADAS business "in-house" and what that looks like, the opportunities represented by ADAS, and a whole lot more. Enjoy the show!

To learn more about CAR ADAS Solutions visit:

https://caradas.com/

This episode marks a very exciting episode of the Collision Vision as the very first episode in our special series on Technology within Collision Repair titled, aptly, Tech Transformation: The Future of Collision Repair. All month long, we'll dive deep into the world of technology and technology only, giving you the latest tools and strategies, as well as a roadmap for the future.

We're starting this series with a deep dive on collision repair software with Craig Stevens, Director of Solutions Delivery with CCC Intelligent Solutions. How can your shop use software to increase efficiency and production? What are some of the pitfalls with modern-day software solutions? What does the future of collision repair software look like? Let's find out together! Enjoy the show, and welcome to our series on the future of collision repair technology.

Connect with Craig Stevens & CCC Intelligent Solutions:

Website: CCCIS.COM, CCCONE.COM, CCCIS.COM/TEAM

Email: [email protected]

We've talked about recruiting and retention a ton here on this show. We've also talked training and career mapping. But we've never gone to the source, to the very beginning of the supply chain of collision repair talent… straight to the schools themselves. Today's guest is Jeff Wilson, Collision Instructor and Department Chair at Kingwood Park High School where he is currently teaching 88 students in his collision repair program. Today' Jeff and host Cole Strandberg will talk about the foundational stage of the future of the collision industry, recruiting the next generation of technicians, retaining this young talent, and much more. Enjoy the show!

Website: https://www.humbleisd.net/o/kphs/staff?search=wilson&filter_ids=324787

Twitter/ X: @KPHSauto

Email: [email protected]

Today's guest is knowledgeable and experienced in two hot topics within the collision repair industry… marketing and recruiting. Today, we'll talk about both. Diane Benting is a long-time member of the collision repair industry, working in various marketing roles at a prominent regional paint jobber before becoming President of BodyShopJobs, a job board for the collision repair industry. Enjoy the show!

Website: www.bodyshopjobs.com

Email: [email protected]

Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmbenting/

Host Cole Strandberg was able to attend the 2024 National Meeting for I-CAR just a short time ago, and two presenters that were speaking The Collision Vision's language were a must-feature on the show. Today's guests are Dara Goroff, I-CAR's Vice President, Planning & Industry Talent Programming, and Arianna Sherlock, Senior Marketing Director for I-CAR. The two of them talked about talent programming, Colision Careers, and how we are going to recruit and train the next generation of collision repair technicians, and that's exactly what we're going to talk about today as well! Enjoy the show!

Today's guest made waves recently, when she announced a major move within the collision repair industry earlier this year. Michelle Sullivan is the CEO of Certified Collision Group, a member network platform that serves nearly 800 highly successful independent collision repair shops across the U.S. and Canada. Today, Michelle and host Cole Strandberg will dive into some high-level industry trends, the future of independent collision repairers, and how independent shops can stay competitive in an increasingly consolidated industry. Enjoy the show!

Connect with Michelle:

[email protected]

https://certifiedcg.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/certifiedcg/

One extremely positive message that has developed out of the collision industry, particularly over the last few years, is the importance of being involved. That applies both locally and nationally within the collision repair industry. So what better people to speak with about ways to be involved than Josh Kent, Executive Director of The Carolina's Collision Association, the Gulf States Collision Association, and the Tennessee Collision Repairers Association, and Jill Tuggle, the Executive Director of the Auto Body Association of Texas. Today, we'll talk about some trends they're seeing in our industry across the nation, the importance of being involved in your local association, and the value of regional shows for the collision repair industry. Enjoy the show! Connect with the Carolina's Collision Association here: https://carolinascollisionassociation.com/

Connect with Auto Body Association of Texas here: https://abat.us/ of email Jill Tuggle here: [email protected]

Today's guest is Jordan Beshears, Vice President of Steve's Auto Body, a two-store— and growing— operation out of the St. Louis area. Jordan and host Cole Strandberg discuss a ton in this episode, including how Steve's Auto Body has grown to where it is today, the dynamics of a family business, OEM certifications vs. DRPs, some exciting growth plans in the works, and much more. Enjoy the show!

Connect with Jordan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-beshears-a9020621a/

Today's guest is someone host Cole Strandberg considers to be a mentor… in fact, he hired Cole at his very first job out of school with an investment bank. David Boim is a long-time executive with vast experience in multiple industries within the world of private equity. He's a turnaround guy from his early days, and now spends a ton of time consulting on business growth, business planning, and exit planning for small and medium businesses with his company, DSB & Associates. Today, we'll talk about all of that and how it pertains to business leaders in the collision repair space and beyond. Enjoy the show!