A New Era: ABAT Bleeds Red, White and Blue for Texas Repairers
Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing
Over the past decade, ABAT has done some truly great things for the Texas collision repair industry.
Whether the association is hosting local training sessions that feature nationally renowned educators, bringing the best vendors and speakers from around the country to the annual Texas Auto Body Trade Show, educating legislators at the Capitol in Austin or challenging the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) to protect consumers’ rights, there’s no doubt about it – ABAT continues to do everything possible to support auto body repairers in the Lone Star State.
Earlier this year, ABAT celebrated its double digits (check it out at grecopublishing.com/txa0224coverstory). Now, after the group’s 10th birthday, members can expect a lot of those same initiatives to take on a new edge as ABAT celebrates a decade with a rebranding!
“ABAT has accomplished a lot over the past 10 years, and reaching such a huge milestone seems like a great time to take advantage of that momentum and figure out how we can do things even better than we have in the past,” shares ABAT Executive Director Jill Tuggle. The rebrand will begin with refreshing their logo.
“Our new logo incorporates the Texas flag, and one version of the logo even includes an outline of this great state we live in,” she says, clarifying that the color scheme remains unchanged because “these are the colors of Texas! Others may see them as the colors of the United States, and while we always show pride and patriotism to our country as well as our state, true Texans know that red, white and blue are Texas colors.”
ABAT will also be building a whole new website complete with an updated membership module. Like many small organizations, different components have been added over time as ABAT has grown, creating a less-than-ideal situation where tasks are performed in different systems that do not necessarily communicate with one another. “We invested in the software and solutions that suited our needs and budget at the time, so everything was added piece by piece, but we’ve identified ways to improve some of those processes,” Tuggle explains.
Currently, ABAT utilizes separate software for its email campaigns, trade show registration and membership portal. Tuggle is excited that the association is “obtaining software to bring everything under one umbrella, which will enable us to streamline our processes and allow us to reach people in more targeted ways than before to better suit the needs of our members, sponsors and vendors. The information we disseminate will be useful and relevant because it will be reaching the intended audience only.”
The new website will also provide an opportunity for members to customize their profiles by adding photos and a description of their services. “ABAT wants to be a place for members to connect with each other, but our website should also provide the ability to locate other members who offer the products and services they may be looking for,” Tuggle notes. “We want to become a better resource for Texas collision repairers to find those services by showcasing our members, and the new, improved website will also provide a place for consumers to search for shops near them when they’re in need of repairs.”
The website is scheduled to launch in early 2025. As part of the rebranding process, ABAT leadership will be reevaluating other components of the association as well, including its mission statement, vision and more, so stay tuned to abat.us for updates as they become available.
ABAT has always bled red, white and blue for Texas collision shops, and as much as things may change, many things remain the same.
From the very beginning, the association’s focus on training has shone through. Industry veteran Janet Chaney participated heavily in getting the association off the ground in its earliest days, beginning when former Board member Brandon Dodd invited her to Texas to join one of the group’s first gatherings. “I didn’t know I was going to be a speaker at three meetings,” she recalls. “However, it turned out to be a rich, wonderful and fun experience that could only happen in Texas – such high energy, good spirit and camaraderie! ABAT is such a great association, and I have been lucky to be a small part of their beginnings.”
Chaney became a supporting force behind the association, participating in the Board’s monthly meetings, and she was ecstatic when they found the perfect fit for their executive director position. “I was fortunate enough to be on the call when the Board made the decision to hire Jill Tuggle. Jill and I shared a lot when she got started, and I am so proud to see where she and ABAT are now. Jill and the Board are the perfect mix; they are innovative, creative and determined to make a difference.”
Since Tuggle became executive director of the association, she has strove to unite Texas collision repairers. “My vision for ABAT is to grow our association and be a unified voice for Texas. We will bring education, government affairs, communication and industry networking, and we will have fun doing it,” she promised upon accepting the full-time position in 2017. “I am excited to see the momentum continue to grow.”
And it certainly has grown with the association expanding to include seven chapters across the Lone Star State, but Tuggle hopes to see even more growth. “Expanding our membership has been a huge priority in 2024 and will continue to be a focus in 2025. We have many great shops that are active in the association, but as a state with nearly 5,000 collision repair facilities, our membership numbers are not reflective of that. Lots of non-members attend our training seminars, events and the Texas Auto Body Trade Show, but they haven’t yet made the leap into joining ABAT because they just haven’t gotten around to it. It only takes a few moments, but I believe that process is going to become even easier once we launch our new website and membership module, so I anticipate seeing a big increase in membership next year.”
Likewise, ABAT will continue to promote and enhance its annual trade show which began in 2016. ABAT President Burl Richards asked Chaney to assist the group with planning their first trade show in Fort Worth. Although there was a limited amount of time to prepare for the event, “that Texas spirit came through, and it was a huge success,” Chaney says. “They knocked it out of the park and have been knocking it out of the park ever since!” While attendees at the first trade show numbered in the dozens, the 2024 Texas Auto Body Trade Show attracted just shy of 1,000 industry professionals, yet Tuggle hopes to top that next year when the event will return to its original time frame, scheduled for September 12 and 13, 2025.
During this year’s show, ABAT unveiled a new tradition: an awards ceremony honoring those who have made a huge impact on the association (get the details at grecopublishing.com/txa0824abat10years). “The idea behind the awards ceremony was definitely borne out of our 10-year anniversary,” Tuggle acknowledges. “It just kept coming back to the idea that we never could have gotten this far and achieved so much without our Board of Directors and all our members. We felt like those were the people who should be recognized for ABAT reaching this milestone, and it felt especially right to honor Robert [McDorman of Auto Claim Specialists] and Chad [Neal of Paint Works]. I expect that we’ll be giving out more awards and recognizing more folks who have contributed to ABAT’s success in the future.”
The ladies’ event that takes place during the show has been a crowd favorite for several years, but the 2024 iteration of this gathering was bigger than ever before, riding on the coattails of ABAT’s Inaugural Night of Honor for Collision Industry Women in Lubbock this past spring with over 100 female collision professionals in attendance (read our recap at grecopublishing.com/txa0624abatfeature). Tuggle promises more events in this vein to come as well.
“ABAT evolves with our industry because we listen to our members to determine what matters most to them, and this level of recognition and engagement is imperative. This has nothing to do with rebranding and everything to do with continuing to keep a pulse on the industry’s needs, which has always been a huge goal of the association. Through our new online presence, we hope to reflect these types of initiatives more clearly to gain momentum in these areas as well.”
Although ABAT’s focus remains on Texas shops, their involvement on the national level enables them to also keep tabs on what’s happening in the industry on a much larger scale. Tuggle often attends regional industry events like the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey’s NORTHEAST® Automotive Services Show and the Southeast Collision Conference hosted by the Carolinas Collision Association and the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association, as well as national events like the Collision Industry Conference, the SEMA Show and meetings hosted by the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). By networking on this scale, she has been able to develop relationships with many of the industry leaders who visit Texas as educators at the trade show and for other ABAT meetings, inspiring Lone Star shops to improve their businesses.
Tuggle is often pleasantly surprised by the level of respect and admiration ABAT receives at these events. “We work hard to do what’s right for our members, but it’s always so humbling when national leaders praise our efforts or when newer associations strive to be like us.”
And it’s not just newer associations, as evidenced by the 60-plus-year-old AASP/NJ’s decision to add to their events at NORTHEAST with the Bodywork Bowl, a contest inspired by ABAT’s BIG SHOTS Competition, which Tuggle has managed for the past two years on behalf of ABAT’s friends in New Jersey.
ABAT’s passion and dedication was recognized in a major way late last year when they became the seventh recipient of the SCRS Affiliate Association Award during SEMA 2023! (If you missed the news, you should really check out grecopublishing.com/txa1223coverstory for a better understanding of just how impressive this accomplishment is.) The recognition came as no surprise to Chaney, who stresses, “ABAT has come a long way, and they will continue to shoot for our industry’s stars. ABAT is the best association in the country!”
The association’s legislative advocacy was cited as one of the many reasons ABAT received this coveted honor.
“Our legislative initiatives have been important to ABAT from the beginning,” Tuggle stresses, recalling one of her first business trips when she shared ABAT’s legislative goals with the leaders of several other associations. “A few of the older guys told me it was a waste of time and would never work, and while I respected their opinions and experience, I remember thinking, ‘That attitude doesn’t lead to change, though.’ I couldn’t wait to tackle it our way, and while we haven’t gotten the desired results just yet, I’m still hopeful that we’ll ultimately see a different outcome. We learn a little more during each attempt to pass legislation, and by incorporating those lessons in our next endeavor, we move the needle a little more in each legislative session.”
Texas repairers can surely expect ABAT to be at the forefront of the 2025 legislative battle, pushing for all insurance policies to include Right to Appraisal and continuing the fight to ensure safe roadways for all Texans by requiring proper repairs based on OEM-recommended processes, in addition to addressing the differences between original and aftermarket parts. Stay tuned to Texas Automotive as more details become available, including instructions on how YOU can help make these important endeavors become ABAT’s greatest success story yet!
