Repairers Speak Out: Meet AASP/NJ’s New Board Membersat NORTHEAST!
by Alana Quartuccio
AASP/NJ welcomed three new directors to its Board this past fall during its Annual Meeting.
New Jersey Automotive sat down with Nick Barbera (Union Collision; Union), Todd Fontana (Proline Body & Chassis; Elmwood Park) and Dean Massimini (Autotech Collision; Sewell) to find out what brought them into the world of auto body, learn more about their businesses and discuss what each hopes to accomplish by working closer with AASP/NJ.
Nick Barbera (Union Collision)
New Jersey Automotive: What first got you interested in a career in auto body?
Nick Barbera: I was born into the family business. When I was kid, my first job at the shop was to ride my bike to the camera place to get the photos developed for the insurance companies.
NJA: Tell us about your shop. How long have you been in business?
NB: The shop has been in business for 45 years, and I’ve been here 16 years. My parents – Kenny and Barbara – started it as a one-car garage/gas station. The business expanded substantially, and our facility now has 25 bays. We are still at the same location as we were able to expand into adjacent buildings on the same street. It’s a true family business. My brother Mike and I are both here; my parents are semi-retired, meaning instead of working 70 hours, they only work 60 hours (laughs). At one time, there were three generations here. Although he didn’t start the business, my grandfather worked here when I first started. It was pretty cool to have worked with my parents and my grandfather all at the same time.
NJA: What do you think is the biggest issue plaguing the collision repair industry right now?
NB: Changing technology. Continued advancements with ADAS and EVs and trying to keep up with the procedures involved.
NJA: What is your favorite part of the job, and what is your least favorite?
NB: My favorite part is interacting with the customers, and my least favorite part is interacting with the customers (laughter). I enjoy helping people with their issues and finding solutions for them – but that can also be my least favorite part. There are good experiences. Just yesterday, the very first customer I ever remember helping 16 years ago came in and asked for me by name. It’s so cool to see this customer still coming back to me all these years later.
NJA: When did you get involved with AASP/NJ, and why?
NB: I first got involved about six years ago because I was looking to make connections in the industry in order to gain more knowledge about the repair process.
NJA: What issues do you hope to see the association address? And what do you hope to contribute as a Board member?
NB: I’d really like to see the association grow, expand and get more members. I’ve heard a lot of stories about how the association was back in the 1990s, and I’d like to see it regain that type of strength.
NJA: What is life like outside the body shop? Any hobbies you’d like to share?
NB: I have three kids who are all very active in sports, so if I’m not at the shop, I’m driving my kids to and from basketball, baseball and soccer. When I get home at night, I do supplements. Can supplements be a hobby (laughs)?
My mind is pretty much on work. I think about work on the way to the shop and on the way home from the shop. I have a Type A personality. Whenever I have time, I try to invest it in work-related things like keeping up with I-CAR or reading industry publications so I can stay on top of things. I listen to industry podcasts too. I’m learning that I’m not the ’only one.’ I recall reading an article in New Jersey Automotive about retired AASP/NJ leader Eddie Day, who said his wife brought him Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner at the shop. I’ve heard Collision Chairman Jerry McNee say he’ll put in a full day at the shop, go home and help out with the family and then go back to the shop to work on a car or do paperwork. Hearing others talk about that makes me feel better when I feel overwhelmed or overworked.
I also owe a lot to the industry, I met my wife 13 years ago at the shop. We fixed her 2004 Honda Civic and the rest is history. She is a big part of this and supports the time and passion that I put into the business.
NJA: What keeps you inspired?
NB: I like the new and changing technology with ADAS and EVs which keeps us on our toes. We have to evolve to make sure we stay relevant because if we don’t, we’ll be out of business. It keeps me engaged and inspired to get ahead of the curve.
Todd Fontana (Proline Chassis & Body)
New Jersey Automotive: What led you to the world of collision repair?
Todd Fontana: I just always loved cars. Since I was a kid, I was into all kinds of cars.
NJA: Do you have a favorite car?
TF: Back then, it was a Porsche 911. Now, I have a ‘67 Corvette, a ‘69 Camaro and a ‘71 Firebird.
NJA: How long have you worked in the industry, and what led you to open your own shop?
TF: I started working for a body shop back in 1987. One day, the boss asked me if I wanted to learn how to paint cars, and I thought that would be the coolest thing ever. I stayed on as his painter for about 12 years, and then I found myself wanting to learn all aspects of the business. I had a dream that someday I would own my own shop, but I knew I needed to learn more about it. I went from being a painter to learning body and structural. I landed a job as a production manager and went into estimating. In 2000, I had the opportunity to go into business for myself, so I decided to risk it and see what I could do. I found an empty building and just started from scratch.
NJA: What would you say are the biggest challenges that collision repair shop owners face?
TF: It’s finding good help. There’s fewer and fewer of the older, more skilled technicians, so we’re finding we have to hire younger people who don’t have as much experience, train them and turn them into technicians. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it can be hard when you’re busy and don’t have the time for it.
NJA: When did you first join AASP/NJ?
TF: I became a member of the association the day I bought my shop. So, it’s been over 24 years now.
NJA: What do you hope to see AASP/NJ focus on the most?
TF: I’d love to see shops work together more. We all share a lot of the same problems, so it’d be nice to come together, talk it out with others and get on the same page.
NJA: You sound like quite the car enthusiast. Do you have any related hobbies or other interests to share?
TF: I raced cars for the last 20 years or so. For the last seven years, I raced at the professional level. I’ve raced all over the East Coast, and I’ve been as far west as Indianapolis. I’ve gone from Michigan to Florida and everywhere in between. In my career, my crew and I have won International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) championships. We’ve won National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) events and Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) in all different sanctioned bodies. We’ve set records in classes. My class was a pro-modified car that raced in a class called pro-nitrous. But I’ve given it all up, and now I enjoy fishing. I went out and bought a boat and fishing pole.
NJA: What do you think you’d get from this industry that you know you wouldn’t have gotten if you had picked another career?
TF: I’ve gotten a lot out of this industry. In the beginning, when I first started my business, I felt that I had the knowledge of fixing cars, but I was not a businessman, and I was forced to learn that right away. The best advice somebody gave me was to surround myself with smart people.
And I did that, and I’ve had consultants throughout my whole career. I owe them a lot. They’ve definitely taught me a ton.
NJA: Since you’re such a car connoisseur, do you have a favorite car you like to work on or a favorite job that you like to do?
TF: I’m a hands-on guy. I like to refer to myself as the undercover boss. I’m happy to be out in the shop, assisting the guys. I’ll take on a project and do everything from welding a car together to painting; I’ll even wash a car. It doesn’t matter to me. If you came into my shop, you wouldn’t know that I was the owner.
Dean Massimini (Autotech Collision)
New Jersey Automotive: How did you get your start in the auto body world?
Dean Massimini: When I was a kid, my brother owned a shop. Shortly before I was old enough to drive, like 15 or 16 years old, he started bringing me to his shop on Saturdays to help out.
NJA: So, is that what inspired you to get into your business? Tell us how that got started.
DM: After working for my brother for enough time, I wanted to see what I could do on my own. I wound up originally opening up a shop at a dealership in Woodbury on April Fools Day in 1990 shortly before my son Dean was born. I stayed at that dealership for about three years. Right around the time, my second child was born, and that was when I realized it wasn’t a great environment; I knew it wasn’t going to be a long-term scenario, so I began to look around, and that’s what got me to where I am right now.
NJA: What would you say makes your shop stand out among the rest?
DM: It may sound kind of cliché , but it’s really the customer service that we offer. The things we do and the time we spend with our customers – nobody does what we do. We help them file diminished value claims and settle total losses. It’s not just about being good at fixing cars. We aim to help them through so many things. The insurance companies they pay a premium to don’t give them good information. We want to be an educational resource for them and go out of our way to really help people through the process.
NJA: You’ve been quite involved with the industry by taking part in 20 Groups and national groups like the Society of Collision Repair Specialists, and you’ve been very active with AASP/NJ over the past few years. What made you decide to become a Board member?
DM: I hung out on the sidelines for a little while and then decided to step in.
NJA: What do you think is the biggest issue plaguing the collision repair industry right now?
DM: It’s insurer interference. They’re just running wild, and I feel like they are basically getting away with murder. They seem to be able to do whatever they want with no repercussions. Insurance companies are not anyone’s friend, and they’re not anyone’s good neighbor. Nobody’s in good hands with them.
NJA: What do you hope to contribute as an AASP/NJ Board member?
DM: I want to do anything I can contribute to advancing consumer rights, anything that gets customers treated fairly and puts them back in control of their own destiny when it comes to their choices.
NJA: What do you like most about the auto body world?
DM: I do enjoy repairing cars. I found it very rewarding to take a wrecked car and fix it, paint it and put it all back together. I don’t do that anymore, but I’m still involved in all the aspects of the business. Now my sons work for me, so I enjoy having a family business. I also enjoy the customer interactions, getting to know and meet different people and get reviews when they’re happy with the repair.
NJA: So, what is life like outside the body shop?
DM: In the past, I used to love playing volleyball, but I’m getting kind of old for that. I’ve coached the sport, and at one time, we had an Autotech Collision volleyball team. My boys still play, but I enjoy boating, fishing, crabbing and anything that involves the sun and water. I love jet skis and walking the dog. I love the beach, the shore and the bay. And eating. I don’t know if I would call myself a foodie, but my wife is a great cook, and we definitely like to eat.
NJA: What keeps you going in this industry?
DM: Just continuing on the family business. Both my sons – Dean Jr. and Dan – work in the business. Dean is involved with estimating and parts, while Dan does our accounting and customer service at the front desk, greeting all the customers. We jokingly say my wife is involved as head of security (laughs).
Want more? Check out the February 2025 issue of New Jersey Automotive!