Printed in Autobody News Collision repair industry associations around the country may take different stances on various matters, but one shared commonality is the intent of improving the businesses of their members. The global pandemic is impacting various communities and even individual businesses in different ways. Several association leaders graciously agreed to discuss some of the challenges they’ve seen, as well as some of the solutions they’ve presented, while helping member shops navigate the current situation to the best of their ability. Addressing the impact COVID-19 has had on shops so far, the consensus appears to be that there is no consensus. Some shops are experiencing significant reductions in workload,…

Printed in Autobody News New York has been one of the areas hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 15,000 deaths from COVID-19. When the governor closed schools March 16, Anthony DeMieri, owner of Frog Hollow Collision in Bethpage, NY, made the business decision to close his shop doors, even though collision repair shops were deemed essential. “It was a health decision,” he said. “I’m in the middle of New York. It’s a war zone, and these guys just don’t get it. They think it’s a joke, but it’s not a joke.” Frog Hollow Collision is located just outside New York City, but the shop’s employees live in Brooklyn and Queens.…

Printed in Autobody News The Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT) hosted its 5th Annual Texas Auto Body Trade Show at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 20 and 21. Attracting hundreds of collision repair industry professionals from Texas and around the country, the show broke every previous year’s attendance record, with attendees excited to network with peers, engage in invaluable educational seminars, and learn about exhibitors’ latest products and services. ABAT also used the opportunity to publicly announce its decision to merge with the Houston Auto Body Association (HABA) to create a larger united front and better serve the industry at-large. ABAT and HABA have had a close relationship…

Printed in Autobody News Business ownership always has its ups and downs, but the current economic climate has added loops and twists leaving many folks feeling nauseated. Dan Taylor, of Transformers Institute, addressed “Riding the Emotional Roller Coaster as an Owner,” during a recent installment of a collaborative series of technical and management classes focused on necessary topics for navigating business operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The series is hosted by the Carquest Technical Institute and Worldpac Training Institute (CTI+WTI.) “It has been an unbelievable six weeks—we’ve never seen anything like this,” Taylor began, recalling his first roller coaster ride when he was 10 years old. “As we started the ascent, I was pretty relaxed,…

Printed in Autobody News As a result of the economic issues related to COVID-19, many shops are experiencing reduced volume. Industry experts recommend shops take advantage of the downtime by working ON their business, instead of IN their business. Shop Marketing Pros released two videos to provide tips for Search Engine Optimized (SEO) writing and taking great photos. Sharing a template he uses when writing SEO content for clients’ blog posts, Brian Walker, who co-owns Shop Marketing Pros with his wife, Kim, said he’s a “big proponent of teaching the how.” “This is something you can learn to do, instead of having someone else do it for you,” Walker said. “This template is…