Getting Back to Our Roots and Growing Stronger Together

by Jill Tuggle, ABAT Executive Director

At ABAT, we’re getting back to our grassroots mission – connecting, educating and empowering Texas body shops from the ground up.

For the next several months, we’re breathing life back into our local chapters and planning more events and webinars than ever before. We know how tough things are right now. Shops are slow, and the industry as a whole is feeling the squeeze. That’s exactly why ABAT is doubling down on hands-on training, regional engagement and real-world solutions that make a difference right now.

We’re taking the show on the road – bringing hands-on training and cool tools directly to your region so you can get the most out of your time, your team and your business. But we’re also making sure to have a little fun along the way! There’s talk of an East Texas golf tournament, and we’ve already started lining up events across the state: a meeting in College Station in January, our Ladies Night of Honor in Lubbock in February, glass training at Kaizen in Austin and a Houston meeting in Q1 – with more to come.

Our focus is on real, tangible training that ends with certifications, action items and strategies to make more money. We’ll explore practical ways for shops to bring more operations in-house, better utilize their teams during slower times and capture every possible billable item on repair plans.

But to make this year truly impactful, we need to hear from you – the shops, the technicians, the owners and the managers. Tell us what training, topics and support you want most. Together, we’ll keep building an industry that thrives even in the toughest times.

ABAT is here, we’re listening, and we’re ready to get back to work, across Texas. 

Please reach out and let me know how we can support your shop. Email me at jill@abat.us.

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