2025 Texas Auto Body Trade Show Education

by Alana Quartuccio

Creating and Planning for Post-Shop Life 

How many business owners will exit their business at some point? All of them. 

Matt DiFrancesco (High Lift Financial) and Laura Gay (Consolidation Coach) addressed the collision repair audience about the realities of planning for when the time comes.

Not being prepared can have serious consequences. “Some may skip a step and find out they are not prepared,” stated DiFrancesco. The duo dove into the various things business owners need to know if a third party were to express interest in buying. Possibly the most important is knowing the true value of one’s business and its free cash flow.

“One of the biggest myths is thinking that because a consolidator made an offer that number is an accurate reflection of what my business is worth, but that could not be further from the truth,” stated Gay. There are many things one can overlook that could leave money on the table. 

If one owns the real estate of their business, they may find that it’s more effective to lease their property in order to have more money post sale, suggested DiFrancesco. 

They gave attendees various considerations, such as taking a good look at what a purchase of their business offers. “Shops that don’t have a lot of equipment, are not I-CAR Gold certified and don’t have a large sales volume will be valued differently than a shop that has a lot of OEM certifications, especially high-end ones,” according to Gay. 

Exit planning can and should be a long-term process. “The longer time frame you give yourself to plan, the better off you are going to be,” DiFrancesco advised. 

Beyond the Wreckage: Proactive Leadership, Better Communication and Less Stress

Lack of process, poor communication and reactive (as opposed to proactive) leadership is a recipe for chaos. And that can be one big serving of frustration felt throughout the entire organization right down to one’s customer base. 

“If you don’t have processes in place, you are living in a complete state of chaos,” Amy Pechacek (Alpstra Training Solutions) told the audience as she laid out ways to break the chaos addiction. She referred to what is known as “false normal. You have been in this perpetual cycle for so long you don’t even realize it. You may think ‘this is just life.’” 

Pechacek painted a clear picture of the vastly different functions of the “chaotic shop” and the “well run shop.” A well run shop will have clear communication, prepped technicians and a manager who leads and doesn’t have to put out fires. The chaotic shop is the exact opposite.

“If you don’t have processes or systems, no one will know what to expect, so you wind up having chaos and emotional reactions.” 

Success mainly comes from one’s soft skills, not their technical skills. “Anywhere you want to go in your life and career, 85 percent is dependent on your communication and interpersonal skills with others.”

Pechacek challenged all to examine what others see when they walk into the shop and to consider what can be improved. 

“Chaos doesn’t have to run your shop. We are not meant to live in survival mode.

“We are meant to thrive, have bright lives and be there to help others,” she added. 

RTA Bill: A Win For Consumers

“It’s really momentous to be up here to talk about the mandatory Right to Appraisal legislation that got passed this year,” ABAT President Burl Richards stated proudly as he and Robert McDorman (Auto Claim Specialists) set out to educate the room full of repairers about what is ultimately a huge win for consumers. 

“It’s been about an eight-year fight to try to get this bill passed, so give yourself a big hand because this would not have passed if it wasn’t for all of you,” Richards added. 

“Effective January 1, 2026, every renewed policy will have to include the mandatory Right to Appraisal,” McDorman explained as he recapped the journey which led to this victory. Now that the bill is passed, the rule-making stage is underway. “We turned in our data and suggestions for what we think would be fair to the consumer.” A draft of the rules is expected to be reviewed over the coming months before the mandatory RTA goes into effect. 

Richards reminded all that RTA is a resource to help their customers “when they feel pushed around by the financial burden put on them by an insurance company that forces them to total their car.” 

McDorman stressed that it all comes down to the rights of the consumer to have safe and proper repairs. “Safe repairs save lives. Always.”

The Future of OEM

What does the future of OEMs look like? Mike Anderson laid it all on the line for the audience. Collision assistant apps, software as a services and subscription services are just a few of the very many things coming down the pike that are sure to reshape the industry. It’s time for collision repair shops to get on board with it all.

“Collision notification is something we have been waiting and hoping for, and it’s starting to get traction,” he said of accident assistant apps which General Motors was the first to launch.

“When a customer gets into an accident, the vehicle or the consumer’s phone will notify the OEM. If you don’t have your CCC Grow My Network profile up to date you won’t get notified,” he warned. 

Consumers want flexible vehicle ownership. “Ninety percent of vehicle owners are planning to buy a new car in the next five years. Over half of them would choose a subscription over a traditional ownership. It’s coming like a freight train.” 

He spoke of other game-changers to come like the Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD which makes an electric vehicle that in just five minutes can be charged to go up to 400 kilometers. “You can charge this car in the amount of time it takes to pump gas.” 

“If BYD comes to the US at some point, it’s believed they will likely sell directly to consumers like Tesla, Lucid and Rivian. No dealerships means these companies need places to do their service work for them,” he pointed out. 

A Calibration Conversation

The popular happy-hour segment “Industry Over a Pint” made its return with a candid calibration conversation amongst industry professionals that weighed in on everything from subletting versus in-house, tools and equipment investments, challenges with reimbursement and everything in between. 

Sponsored by 1 Source ADAS, the panel featured Darrell Smith (McDaniels Collision), Frank Phillips (ADAS Solutions USA), Burl Richards (ABAT President/shop owner) and Josh Cascanet (AirPro Diagnostics) with Mike Anderson (Collision Advice) serving as moderator. 

Smith’s shop sublets the work, while Richards’ shops perform calibrations in-house. Both shared the reasons for their business decision and the things they had to keep in mind along the way. Smith started doing some of it in-house but early on realized the equipment was going to be too much to keep up with and that subletting was the right way to go. Richards made the decision to invest, not only in equipment but in the hiring of mechanics to handle the work. He also had the space to make the appropriate changes to his facility to accommodate the lighting and target distance requirements. 

Conversation weighed heavily on making sure the calibrations are being done right, especially if the work is being sent out. Panelists shared how they go about tracking what is being done. 

Equipment is quite a large investment. “A body shop can buy a mig welder and expect it to last 10 years. We’ve been doing calibrations for a few years, and we’ve changed equipment three times,” Phillips admitted. 

ADAS is big now, but it’s only going to grow even more. Cascanet believes, “It will double by 2035.”

Anderson brought to light the idea of having to maintain the ADAS systems, which can begin to weaken due to wear and tear, could be an income source for shops. Phillips agreed that having to evaluate these systems is definitely the future. 

Building the Office Team You Always Wanted

Chuck Baldridge (Mike Calvert Toyota) led an interactive session on how to build the right office team to get the job done right. Having clear job descriptions is important for finding the right people to fit those roles. Sharing from his own success with team building, he led the audience on a path toward identifying their core values and the codes they would want their team to live by. He suggested sharing the core values with a potential new hire up front, asking if they resonate. If they don’t, it’s not worth wasting anyone’s time. 

Know Your “Why” 

“You need to find your why, and if you do you, that is what will get you through the toughest times.”

With his “Stay Humble, Stay Hungry” presentation, Mike Anderson left attendees with much to think about when it comes to finding their reason, their purpose for doing what they do. For Anderson, it’s making sure vehicles are fixed properly – no exceptions. 

“Do not put anything over a proper repair. Do not sell your soul for money because someone wants you to cut corners.” He’s lived the consequences of improper repairs. “My Air Force team died because someone didn’t fix a helicopter properly,” he said of one of the many tragedies he’s witnessed in his life that are his “why” for devoting his career to proper and safe repairs.

Customer pay is growing, and shops need to get on board with this as consumers are becoming more reluctant to file claims. “Consumers are reluctant to file claims because they fear their premiums will go up, so they are driving around with damage or paying out of pocket.” 

Anderson says 40 percent of insured drivers have chosen to pay out of pocket for repairs. “We have to quit assuming that everyone wants to file insurance claims.” He warned that shops may be scaring people away if they don’t change the conversation to include options for customer pay and financing options.

He pointed to the glaring proof that ADAS is working. “The average person now only has an accident every 18 years. It’s no longer every seven to 10. However busy you are right now, that’s the new normal, unless you ramp up your marketing.” 

“You need to be available after hours,” he added, pointing to various ways shops can allow consumers to set up appointments via AI technology, software programs or just simply having calls forwarded to one’s cell phone. 

Offering a positive experience plays a huge role. Follow up calls can be a very important marketing tool to keep that relationship strong with one’s customers. “If someone spends $20,000 with your business, you should call them up and check in.” 

Reducing Cycle Time with AI 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not only growing at rapid speeds, but it is absolutely here to stay and is paving its way into the future of collision repair. 

According to Tom Zobelein (Vaultoniq), AI is “a gift to mankind. It’s the fastest thing moving, and it will penetrate everything we use in the future. And it’s only in its infancy.” 

ChatGPT gained one million monthly users in just one month after being launched while it took Netflix three and a half years to reach one million users. Connectivity in general through the internet and smartphones have reshaped the entire world especially in the area of commerce. Therefore, it’s time for collision repair shops to take a look at the many ways AI can help streamline their work and improve cycle time.

Zobelein pointed to various tools that can capture clients’ information after hours, identify repair steps and scrub estimates, and he envisions a totally connected AI platform that covers everything from technicians to insurer communication. 

“You have to be willing to enter a new era where technology can be your friend and help you out.” 

Successful Repair Planning – in Spanish 

Recognizing that the Spanish-speaking community is a huge part of the state of Texas and the collision industry, the educational agenda included a repair planning class taught by Ricardo Garcia (Uptown Automotive; Houston) and presented entirely in Spanish. 

Unlocking Repairability Beyond Traditional Repair Techniques

Emma White (KECO Body Repair Products) helped repair professionals gain a deeper understanding on, not just how glue pull repair (GPR) works, but how this method of dent repair can be achieved in more challenging scenarios via the use of multiple tools, tab selection and pulling techniques. 

Growing Tomorrow’s Technicians 

There’s so much talk in the industry about how challenging it is to find good qualified young people to choose collision repair as a career and not nearly enough talk about how to inspire, nurture and grow tomorrow’s technician.

Collision Technology Professor Raven Luna (Collin College) led an interactive panel discussion featuring body shop professionals and up-and-coming technicians who shared what sparked their interest and what shops are doing to encourage young people to pursue this field. 

Panelists included Marcus Godinez (Collison College professor) and Matthew Rinker (Parkwood Collision; Frisco) and budding technicians Rodrigo Guerrero and Allyn Armstrong.

Thanks to auto body educational programs like Collin College’s, students are able to discover their love for collision repair. Guerrero admits he was first interested in automotive service work, but when presented the chance to study collision, he was hooked. Armstrong’s interest developed when he explored restoration work as he took in what a huge accomplishment it was to see the newly restored vehicle drive off when complete. 

Many shop owners claim to seek an entry-level technician, yet they often expect their new hire to have three years of experience. Bringing someone up through the ranks has to be a long-term investment. “You can get long-term employees with the right system,” encouraged Godinez, who stressed that the investment into helping a young person grow in their shop will bring upon a good return.

Overcoming Information Overload

It’s better and cheaper to fix cars right the first time. In order to achieve this, the right information needs to be shared, and the right conversations need to be had. Danny Gredinberg (DEG) and industry subject matter expert Kyle Motzkus set out to educate the audience on how to properly convey the right messages to bring out the best possible outcome.

Gredinberg shared one of his favorite quotes is “‘slow down to speed up.’ It suggests taking a pause to focus on quality over speed, and that can lead to clarity and a reduction of stress.” 

There are many broken bonds in the industry. The bond between the repair shop and the insurance company is one, but there’s also a lot of disconnect between repair planners and technicians. Yet, everyone is on the same team. “You have to leave your ego at the door,” suggested Motzkus. 

Building trust is key, especially with customers. Gredinberg and Motzkus encouraged taking the time to review the repair plan with the customer and explain what things like R&I means. Hearing “no” can launch an emotional rollercoaster in people, so it’s important to keep vehicle owners informed. 

Beating the Slowdown

Taylor Moss (OEC) set out to show repair professionals how to stay profitable and still win even when sales are down. His discussion focused on how to make the most of every repair, utilize tools and increase profitability at all times so a business isn’t just surviving but thriving in the long run.

Want more? Check out the October 2025 issue of Texas Automotive!

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