Today marks the second installment in our series titled the “MSO Chronicles,” and today’s guest is the CEO of one of the most interesting and innovative operators in the industry. Michael Giarizzo Jr. is the CEO of DCR Systems, a dealer-focused body shop group with four distinct business units and 10 locations at the time of this recording. You’ve probably seen Michael online or at conferences, and in this conversation we’ll take a deep dive into his very unique business and his leadership style. Enjoy the Show!

Connect with DCR Systems: 

https://www.dcrsystems.com/ 

Welcome back to the Collision Vision. We are excited dive into a new series over the next few months titled "The MSO Chronicles." We will be featuring titans of industry currently leading or who have led MSOs from around the country, ranging from national juggernauts to the regional up-and-comers.

Today’s guest has been both, though today he is currently well within the juggernaut status… Matt Ebert is the CEO of Crash Champions, a national consolidator with roughly 650 locations at the time of this recording. Today, we’re going to talk about Matt’s origin story, the growth of Crash Champions and what that journey looks like, how to prepare your organization for growth, and the future of the organization and the industry as a whole. We hope you enjoy the show!

We have two all-stars on today’s show, each coming from unique perspectives. Kelly Logan, a return guest on the Collision Vision, is the Director of Collision Repair Programs at Rivian and Kris Burton is the Owner of Rosslyn Autobody, an OEM-certification centric collision center out of Alexandria, VA and a Board Member with SCRS. They spend much of today’s conversation around how exactly body shops can take full advantage of the opportunities EV repair creates, both from the perspective of an OE and from a shop that is doing it. Enjoy the show!

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. 

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/  

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/