‘Industry Giant’ Rick Recor Remembered for his Billboards, Generosity and Friendship

by Alana Quartuccio

The Massachusetts auto body community mourns the loss of one of its longtime body shop owners, Rick Recor (Rick’s Auto Body; Springfield) who was well known for his great billboard campaigns, his humble generosity and – perhaps most importantly – his friendship.

“I was truly saddened to hear of Rick’s passing – not just because he was a longtime supporter of our association, but because he was a great friend,” shares MABA Executive Director Lucky Papageorg.

“He was one of my adult heroes,” professes retired shop owner and industry supporter Jack Lamborghini, who had a 35-year relationship with Recor. “I won’t pretend for a second that I knew him as well as others, but he and I shared a really strong bond. And it was something I really appreciated over the years. We’d literally go months without speaking, and then one of us would pick up the phone for whatever reason, and it was like we never missed a beat.”

Although Papageorg can’t say he knew Recor from “way back in the day,” he recalls being introduced to him by Lamborghini. “The passion Rick felt for his business, his customers and his employees immediately struck a chord with me,” he remembers of meeting Recor when he moved his body shop operation to Pasco Road in Springfield in 1997.

He made a name for himself in many ways, recalls Papageorg. “From his exceptional customer service, to his fundraising car shows, to his famous series of billboards, which many will tell you helped revive the billboard industry in the Springfield area.”

Recor was well-known for the successful billboard campaign he launched in the 1990s. In fact, he is credited to have taken billboard marketing to new heights with his funny and eye-catching advertisements that made Rick’s Auto Body and its easy-to-recall 543-DENT phone number quite famous in the greater Springfield area.

Lamborghini dubs Recor “a marketing genius,” recalling some of his favorites. One featured a 1934 Ford vehicle cascaded with bullet holes and an image of the notorious outlaws “Bonnie and Clyde” with the phrasing, “If they had lived, they’d have called Rick’s Auto Body.” Another displayed flashing tail lights with the phrase, “You have entered the Tail Light zone” paying homage to the famous Twilight Zone.

“The economy wasn’t very good back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Rick was able to rent or purchase billboards for next to nothing because so few people were utilizing them. He had vision, and his billboard campaigns made him nationally recognized,” Lamborghini recalls.

Recor would even open the door to billboard ideas from customers. If he came upon a good suggestion, he’d roll with it and award the customer for their creativity, Lamborghini says, though he knew only a little about Recor and his shop before the two actually met.

“Back in the 1990s, I ran a company called Collision Management Services. We did a direct mail campaign to shops in western Massachusetts, and lo and behold, I got a response for Rick’s shop. I called to set up a time to speak with him. I did not have a lot of information about him at the time. Upon doing some research, I learned from other vendors that Rick was likely to have a manager come out on his behalf; I was told, ‘I doubt you’ll get to talk to Rick.’ When I headed to Springfield a week later, I was indeed greeted by one of his staff members, then another, possibly a manager. Apparently, I was cleared as ‘worthy enough to talk to Rick’ because we met, and we hit it off immediately!

“He really was an extraordinary guy in so many ways,” adds Lamborghini.

Recor was also known for his dedication to fighting the good fight and being a huge supporter of the auto body association.

Gary Cloutier (Cloot’s Auto Body; Westfield) remembers his old friend as “a voice of reason” who did a lot for the western chapter and the association, even taking out full-page ads in the local paper to get the word out on behalf of the industry. “He didn’t think twice about spending money if it meant educating people about the problems with the industry.”

He always gave of himself, Cloutier says, recalling a time Recor happened to be standing behind him in line at the airport while heading to a national trade show.

“I was with the ticket agent, and Rick leaned in behind me and said, ‘You think you can bump him up to first class?’ Well, he got me a first-class ticket, and I sat right next to him. He always gave a lot of himself. He even rented a suite at the Mirage and invited a bunch of people from the industry. I’ll never forget that trip.”

“He lived a life that was very large, but he did it in a very unassuming way,” recalls Lamborghini. “Any of the success he had, he always attributed it to his people. He always spoke about his team and how much work they did.”

Frankie Parks, who formerly worked for Recor for 14 years, recalls him as “a great boss. He was a giant of the industry who did a lot to help others. He was an all around good guy who was fun to work for.”

Recor’s work was known well throughout the industry whether one knew him well or not. “I didn’t know him personally, but the business he built is impressive,” comments MABA President Matthew Ciaschini. “He always fought for the customer through doing the right thing even though it was difficult. He’ll be greatly missed.”

Papageorg says many are not aware of the depth of Recor’s generosity.

“Rick was generous not only with his employees but with so many others as well. The reason? He did not seek recognition. For example, Rick anonymously donated thousands of dollars to AASP/MA in 2018 and 2019 to ensure the association ended the year in the black – and that I would receive a paycheck to close out the year. With his assistance, we were able to build the association back up to where we are today rather than face bankruptcy.

“He was always there to answer my call when I needed him,” adds Papageorg. “He bailed me out more than once when my Tundra left me stranded in western Massachusetts while I was visiting shops.”

Lamborghini can attest to Recor’s generous spirit as “he anonymously took care of a friend, an employee or in some cases an organization. He did it in a manner no one knew about.”

He’ll also remember Recor for “having the single toughest mindset. He relentlessly moved forward. He never let anything hold him back. He never bitched or moaned. He would deal and move forward. He pushed back hard against the insurers. He always found a way to get done what he needed to, and I admired that a lot.”

“I had the opportunity to email Rick a thank-you note for renewing his membership and support the Friday before his passing,” Papageorg recalls. “In his truly selfless fashion, he texted back saying it was he who should be thanking me and the association for our efforts on behalf of his shop and the collision repair industry. I will surely miss our calls and face-to-face discussions. He really knew how to stoke my passion for this industry because we shared that same drive. My dear friend, the words ‘thank you’ are simply not enough. May his memory be eternal.”

“He was probably one of the best friends I had in the business world,” Lamborghini reflects. “What a credit he was to the industry and what a giant, in all the right ways.”

Want more? Check out the April 2026 issue of New England Automotive Report!