Prosser, Washington, October 9, 2013 - Rarely a day passes where the headlines of collision industry trade publications don't cover stories of multi-store operators or collision industry consolidators purchasing local collision repair businesses. There is an obvious awareness in the industry that nationally recognized collision repair brands are actively seeking larger market share through targeted acquisitions of independent business, and that the rate of such acquisitions is only increasing. The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has included several tracks in their Repairer Driven Education (RDE) series at the SEMA Show, specifically to address the trend and arm industry members with insight they can use in their business.
"SCRS is continually looking at ways that we can help collision repair business owners succeed in the marketplace, and we realize that what defines success varies for the wide array of repairers operating in today's shifting landscape," shared SCRS Chairman Ron Reichen. "We suspect that the private equity entering our industry is going to continue to fund continued acquisitions, and that means independent collision businesses are likely to be interested in one of two models for success; they will either position themselves to compete against consolidation or position the business to sell for the highest value."
To address the latter, SCRS has put together several sessions, including a panel of well-known industry veterans who made headlines of their own during the sale of their previous businesses. The panel,"If I Knew Then What I Know Now - Lessons Learned Selling My Body Shop," will be featured from 3:00 - 5:00pm on Thursday, November 7th. Panelists will discuss things they learned in the process that can help attendees interested in proceeding down a similar path best prepare themselves. Subject matter experts include:
Aaron Clark, former owner of Collision Solutions, sold to ABRA Auto Body & Glass
Pat O'Neill, former owner of 911 Collision Centers, sold to Caliber Collision Centers
Dan Bailey, former owner of A&B CARSTAR, sold to CARSTAR Franchise
Systems
Mike Anderson, former owner of Wagonwork Collision Centers, sold to Pohanka
Collision Centers
"There is a great deal of combined knowledge that will be offering first hand insight into how to navigate the process of valuing and selling your business," added SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg. "That said, it is very important to point out that we have a great deal of optimism that independent collision repair owners can thrive in today's marketplace as well, and have also defined specific programs that address solutions for them also."
Perhaps none address these solutions more specifically than Wednesday afternoon's session, from 3:00 - 5:00pm led by Tim Ronak with AkzoNobel Coatings entitled, "Competing in a Consolidated Marketplace."
Ronak will discuss the most current consolidation information available as of November 2013, using this information to infer the path consolidation may take and the impact on the industry at large. Comparison to other industries will be made to identify strategies that were successful within those industries when consolidation reshaped their business model. Participants will have better understanding on how to navigate in this environment and insight into survival strategies for their business.
On Friday from 12:30 - 2:30pm, Scott Biggs of the Assured Performance Network is prepared to have an in-depth session entitled,"'Creating a Parallel Universe: Reinventing the Collision Repair Industry."Forewarned is to be forearmed, and this program will give you both good news and bad. It will allow you to better understand profit, prosperity and business survival in the decades ahead, taking a futuristic look at the industry and the trends that are shaping it right now. You will see alternative versions of the future based upon the secret, and not so secret, plans and agendas of insurers, MSO, OEM's and others. With this information, you choose the road forward.
To secure your spot in the room for these informative and unique opportunities or to see a complete listing of RDE sessions, visit www.semashow.com/scrs to register today. Registrations for theSCRS RDE series will be available onsite at the Show, but space may be limited for some sessions.
The 2013 RDE series is sponsored by supportive industry organizations such as SEMA, PPG Automotive Refinish, GM Genuine Parts, BASF Refinish, Ford Motor Company, AkzoNobel Coatings, HERTZ, Axalta Coating Systems, Goliath Carts, PBES (a division of AAIA), LKQ Corp., SATA, SPANESI Americas, Sherwin-Williams and AASP.
About SCRS' RDE Series: REPAIRER DRIVEN EDUCATION (RDE) series features seminar offerings, many of which are uniquely designed and being offered only at the 2013 SEMA Show. The series will be offered either as individual sessions, or as a package, and registrants will have the option to attend seven regular session seminars which will be delivered between the hours of 12:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day of the show. Each of the courses has been individually selected by, or crafted for, SCRS because the content specifically focuses on information that is relevant to collision repair professionals and appeals to the diverse array of marketplace perspectives within the collision repair industry. Register at www.semashow.com/scrs.
About SCRS: Through its direct members and 40 affiliate associations, SCRS is comprised of over 6,000 collision repair businesses and 58,500 specialized professionals who work with consumers and insurance companies to repair collision-damaged vehicles. Additional information about SCRS including other news releases is avail-able at the SCRS Web site: www.scrs.com. You can e-mail SCRS at the following address: info@scrs.com.
