Together…We Thought We Could. Together…We Did. Together…We’re Not Finished

by Evangelos “Lucky” Papageorg, MABA Executive Director

As a child, one of my favorite stories was The Little Engine That Could. Faced with what appeared to be an impossible task, the little blue engine refused to quit. As it slowly climbed the mountain, it repeated one simple phrase:

“I think I can…I think I can…I think I can…”

Eventually, perseverance, determination and belief carried it to the top.

Over the past several weeks, I have found myself thinking about that story more than once.

For nearly two decades, those of us committed to improving the collision repair environment in Massachusetts have been climbing our own mountain. Along the way there have been special commissions, advisory boards, legislative hearings, countless meetings, testimony, letters, emails, phone calls and conversations – all centered around one simple belief:

Massachusetts consumers deserve to be fairly indemnified following a collision loss.

That belief took a tremendous step forward when Governor Maura Healey signed the FY2027 Budget, including Section 78, establishing – for the first time – a transparent statutory process to determine whether a fair and reasonable minimum labor reimbursement rate is warranted in the Commonwealth.

This achievement did not happen overnight. Nor did it happen because of one individual. It happened because an extraordinary team refused to stop believing that meaningful change was possible.

Like the little engine, we simply kept moving forward.

There were times when progress seemed painfully slow. There were moments when success appeared just beyond our reach. There were occasions when it would have been easier to accept the status quo than continue climbing.

Then came the final stretch.

As many of you know, the insurance industry’s lobbying efforts intensified dramatically. Calls were made. Emails flooded the Governor’s Office. Full-page advertisements appeared in major newspapers. Every available resource was used in an effort to convince the Governor to line-item veto Section 78.

During those final days, another childhood memory came rushing back.

Charlie Brown…Running toward the football…Hoping that this time Lucy would finally leave it in place. After years of work, there was certainly a moment when it felt as though Lucy might once again pull the football away at the very last second.

Fortunately, this time she didn’t.

Instead, transparency, common sense and a commitment to serving the public prevailed. Since the Governor signed the budget, I have been humbled by the incredible number of phone calls, emails, text messages, and conversations offering congratulations and words of appreciation.

To every one of you who reached out – thank you.

But I have found myself giving the same response each time.

This accomplishment does not belong to me.

It belongs to every MABA member who took the time to write a letter. Every repairer who made a phone call. Every Board member who volunteered countless hours. Every committee member who remained engaged. Every contributor to our PAC and legal & lobbying efforts.

It belongs to our legislative agent, Guy Glodis, whose tireless work and relationships helped move this issue forward. The members of the 2008 Special Commission. The 2016 Commission. The members of the Auto Body Labor Rate Advisory Board.

It belongs to every legislator who listened, and every individual who believed that persistence, professionalism, relationships and respectful advocacy – not confrontation – would ultimately produce results.

This is what teamwork looks like.

Most importantly, however, this is not simply a milestone for the collision repair profession.

It is a significant milestone for the consumers of Massachusetts.

For years, MABA has consistently maintained that this discussion was never simply about labor reimbursement. It has always been about proper indemnification. When Massachusetts motorists purchase automobile insurance, they are purchasing more than a policy. They are purchasing a promise. A promise that, following a covered collision loss, their vehicle will be restored to its pre-loss condition.

That promise requires repairs performed by properly equipped facilities. It requires trained, educated technicians who work to continuously improve. It requires adherence to manufacturer repair procedures. It requires sophisticated diagnostic equipment, calibration technology, specialized tools, and the willingness to invest in keeping pace with today’s rapidly changing vehicles.

Section 78 does not establish a new labor reimbursement rate. What it does establish is something equally important: A transparent, objective, evidence-based process for determining whether current labor reimbursement practices truly provide Massachusetts consumers with the ability to obtain the safe, proper, manufacturer-compliant repairs their insurance policies promise.

That is why this legislation matters. This is not about guaranteeing higher reimbursement. It is about ensuring that public policy reflects today’s repair environment – not yesterday’s. It is about transparency. It is about accountability. It is about protecting the people who entrust us with one of their largest investments and, more importantly, the safety of their families.

There is one final thought I would like to share. Throughout this journey, I have occasionally heard comments such as: “When I see the labor reimbursement rate increase, then I’ll join MABA.” Or…”Show me what the association has accomplished first.”

Respectfully, accomplishments like Section 78 don’t happen because an association already has unlimited resources. They happen because dedicated members choose to invest in the future before the outcome is known. This milestone was not funded by hope alone. It was made possible by members who paid their dues. Who supported our PAC and legal & lobbying efforts. Who attended meetings. Who testified before legislative committees. Who wrote letters. Who made phone calls. Who believed that relationships matter. Who understood that changing public policy requires persistence.

Progress does not begin after success – it begins long before success becomes visible.

If you have been waiting to see whether MABA could make a difference, I hope this answers that question. Now is the time to become part of what comes next. The challenges facing our profession have not disappeared. In many ways, they are only beginning. We need every repairer who believes in safe repairs…Proper indemnification…transparency…consumer protection…and a stronger future for the collision repair profession…to become involved NOW. Membership is not simply an investment in your business; it is an investment in the future of our profession and in every Massachusetts motorist who depends on us to restore their vehicle safely following a collision.

Should we celebrate? Absolutely. But this is not the finish line. It is another important milestone on a much longer journey.

Our responsibility now is to continue working collaboratively with legislators, regulators, insurers, consumer advocates, and all stakeholders to ensure that the process envisioned by Section 78 is implemented fairly, objectively, and always with the safety of Massachusetts consumers as its guiding principle.

As I reflect on this journey, I find myself returning once again to that little blue engine. There were days when success seemed unlikely. There were days when the mountain seemed too steep. Yet together we continued climbing. We believed. We persevered. We worked.

And together…We did.

Our work has never been about winning a battle against the insurance industry. It has always been about winning a better future for the motorists of Massachusetts. MABA didn’t accomplish this because we were the loudest voice. We accomplished it because we refused to stop speaking. Because at the end of the day…Safe Repairs Are No Accident.

They are the product of knowledge, integrity, teamwork, persistence, and an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing, the right way, at the right time for the people we proudly serve.

Together…We Thought We Could.

Together…We Did.

Together…We’re Not Finished.

Be a part of the future success of the collision repair industry in Massachusetts…See the application on Page 7.

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