ABAT Chapter Spotlight: The Deep Roots of Houston
by Alana Quartuccio
Texas sure is a mighty big state, and ABAT sure is mighty big about representing all auto body shops across the 268,596 miles that make up the grand Lone Star State! ABAT serves body shop members via the state’s seven regions – Austin, College Station, Dallas-Fort Worth, East Texas, Houston, Lubbock and San Antonio.
Welcome to our new feature where we spotlight the chapters all around this great state! Our premiere feature takes us to Houston – a chapter with deep roots that go back a few decades!
Houston Chapter History
The Houston chapter of ABAT has its roots in the Houston Auto Body Association (HABA), which dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, according to Greg Luther, ABAT’s chairman of the Board. The association remained active until it disbanded in the early 2000s.
In the wake of the recession of 2007-2009, a group of Houston-area shop owners, managers and an industry vendor came together to reform the association as a response to the significant disruption the collision repair industry experienced as a result.
Luther explains, “Reduced driving led to fewer accidents, and many vehicle owners delayed repairs due to financial constraints. During this period, insurance companies gained increased influence, and consolidation within the industry accelerated.”
HABA was officially re-established and recognized by the IRS on September 16, 2009 with James Brown serving as its first president.
“I began attending meetings around 2010 and joined the Board in 2011,” Luther recalls. “During this time, HABA saw strong engagement from both repairers and industry partners, with meetings well attended as shops sought support navigating a changing industry landscape.”
Around 2013-2014, industry leaders from East Texas, led by ABAT President Burl Richards, connected with HABA leadership, including James Brown, to explore expanding the model statewide. This collaboration ultimately led to the formation of ABAT in 2015.
“As consolidation continued across the industry, HABA faced leadership transitions when both James Brown and later Leo Kozadinos stepped down after selling their businesses. John Kopriva, whose family has been part of the Houston collision repair community for more than 90 years, then assumed the role of president. Under his leadership, along with a dedicated Board, the association regained momentum and expanded its impact. Signature events, including large member appreciation gatherings, brought together hundreds of industry professionals to network, share insights and support one another.”
Meanwhile, by 2019, ABAT had gained strong recognition across the state, particularly in legislative advocacy, and “it became clear that aligning efforts would better serve both the industry and Texas consumers,” according to Luther; HABA officially became the Houston chapter of ABAT in January 2020. Luther, along with Kopriva, Larry Cernosek and Albert Salinas joined the ABAT Board of Directors following the transition.
Houston Chapter Today
Since then, Kopriva and Salinas have retired, while Luther now serves as Chairman of the Board, and Cernosek continues to serve as a Board member and legislative liaison. Most recently, the ABAT board has welcomed Chuck Baldridge as the newest Houston representative.
According to Luther, “In recent years, Houston has proven to be a challenging market due to the strong presence of large MSOs. In many cases, employees of those organizations are not permitted to participate in associations like ABAT, which can limit broader industry engagement. Despite this, ABAT’s Board members and Executive Director Jill Tuggle remain committed to the Houston chapter. Their focus continues to be on bringing together independent and dealership collision repair facilities under a common goal – advocating for the industry and educating both repairers and Texas consumers on how to ensure safe, proper repairs. We believe safe repairs save lives!
Hot Takes from Houston Shops
ABAT member shops all over the Texas map are doing incredible things. Check out some hot takes from our Houston chapter member shops!
Leading Edge Collision
As its name suggests, Leading Edge Collision is absolutely at the forefront when it comes to nurturing a healthy teamwork atmosphere and great shop culture.
Owner Adan Ibarra has found much success in growing his team from the ground up. Ibarra is committed to giving young people a chance. In fact, it was how he himself got his start in this industry.
“I came in at 15 years old pushing a broom,” he recalls. “I have been in their shoes where I knew some things from school, but mostly I wasn’t respected because I was so green. I used that experience to do things the right way and make it a point for my team to really understand that it isn’t really about age but about spreading your knowledge to everyone.”
He may just have the youngest staff around. The average age in Ibarra’s shop is 34. Remove his two oldest structural technicians, and that number drops to 24.
“I don’t run a conventional shop where every tech is on commission. The way I run my shop gives me the opportunity to hire entry-level technicians. They come in, get their feet wet. I take them in and train them up, and it’s worked out really well for me.”
He’s instituted a “learning culture” in his shop. “We have a really high standard for quality here, and I place a huge emphasis on continued training.”
Ibarra remembers having great mentors such as the shop’s previous owner, Brian Cubbage. “He really gave me the opportunity to learn and grow, and that really set me on my own destiny and how I would work and learn.” Prior to purchasing the shop in 2020 and renaming it Leading Edge Collision, he managed the former business under Cubbage for 11 years at the same location.
“I challenge my staff, and they challenge me. It’s a true team dynamic,” he says of his staff.
“Today, the Houston chapter remains an active and important part of ABAT, continuing its mission to support collision repair professionals, advocate for consumers and strengthen the industry across Texas and the nation.”
Uptown Automotive
Owner Zameer Fazal is a strong advocate for consumer education. He goes out of his way to make sure consumers have access to information about the industry – most importantly about insurance companies.
He utilizes CRASH Network’s Insurance Report Card results to make customers aware of how their insurer ranks by displaying the results of the survey right in his shop’s front office – and it makes for great consumer engagement.
“We have the Insurance Report Card hanging in our front office area in the customer lounge” Fazal relays.”It’s been a huge educational tool for us. Customers really have their eyes wide open when they see the big five or 10 insurance companies ranked.
“As a collision repair shop, we deal with multiple different types of insurance companies. It’s unfortunate that the client doesn’t really know what will happen when they get into an accident, so we are big on taking steps to educate them. We also do mechanical work, so even for those customers, our front office staff makes it a point to suggest customers take a look at the report card to see where their insurer ranks. Many insurance companies are really tightening things up. Unfortunately, the customer usually doesn’t know until they have to deal with a claim, and then they find themselves wishing they had chosen a different carrier.”
A longtime member of ABAT, Uptown Automotive was also part of the original HABA. “I entered the industry in 2013, and I immediately joined HABA to network and get more involved. We may be competitors, but we’re all feeling the same struggles and have the same pain points, so I wanted to surround myself with others to bounce ideas off of. HABA provided support, but once ABAT came on, it really strengthened and the association took off. ABAT expanding into multiple regions has really amplified who shop owners can connect with, learn from and how they can grow. It’s been a great experience for my business.”
Want more? Check out the April 2026 issue of Texas Automotive!