AASP/NJ Members Celebrated as Collision Warriors at Spartan 300 Symposium
by Chasidy Rae Sisk
Spartans – Greek warriors renowned for their abilities over 2,500 years ago – were known to be the elite among soldiers of their day. They did not take up arms only when battle raged; they trained constantly in order to be prepared when the need for war arose. And their formidable courage allowed no trepidation even when they were vastly outnumbered.
Auto body shops often indicate a feeling of being “the only one,” but similar to the warriors of ancient Greece, the Collision Advice Legacy Group Spartan 300 serves “to bring together like-minded individuals to take a stand for safe and proper repairs and change the course of history.” Last month, Mike Anderson (Collision Advice) and his team celebrated the best of the best during the 2024 Spartan Symposium, recognizing shops for everything from Customer Convenience to Estimating Accuracy, Scanning Compliance and more.
Congratulations to AASP/NJ member shops Autotech Collision Service (Sewell) and Ultimate Collision Repair (Edison) on their awards!
Autotech Collision Service received three accolades: Refinish Repair Planning Accuracy and Body Repair Planning Accuracy as well as a spot within the “100 Percent Club,” based on the facility using 100 percent OEM parts during 2023.
“When you’re in the Spartans, you’re among a pretty elite group of shops, so to be selected for an award feels pretty amazing,” says Dean Massimini (Autotech Collision Service), whose sons Dean Jr. and Dan run the shop. “Everyone in the Spartan 300 Legacy Group is doing the right things for the right reasons. Most of these shops are heavily certified and promote consumer education, just like we do. We do things a certain way because it’s the right way to do it, not for the awards…but it feels pretty good to be recognized for our efforts.
“We’re really proud to be part of the 100 Percent Club because a small number of shops receive that recognition,” he adds. In fact, only 15 shops from around the country were recognized with the 100 Percent Club award this year, including one other Garden State shop: Ultimate Collision Repair, owned by AASP/NJ Collision Chairman Jerry McNee.
“I’m honored that Collision Advice recognizes our facility for 100 percent OEM parts usage,” McNee shares. “I don’t take it for granted because our clients appreciate our services. Our clients trust us to do the right thing, and sometimes that means embracing healthy conflict. We are not design engineers; nothing will trump the OE repair procedures morally, ethically or legally, and we may be the only thing standing between the client’s safety and the insurer’s frugality, so we have to do the right thing for the clients who trust us. Being lazy, incompetent or uneducated isn’t an excuse. It’s not always easy, but it’s not actually hard; it’s simply what’s right.”
Learn more about Collision Advice’s Legacy Group Spartan 300 at collisionadvice.com/spartan-300.
Want more? Check out the June 2024 issue of New Jersey Automotive!