At a time when many across the country are experiencing slowing sales, Greg Lobsiger, owner of Loren's Body Shop in Bluffton, Indiana and monthly FenderBender Shop Profits columnist, had the best sales month since his grandfather opened the shop in 1951. Lobsiger offers a message of hope and a few tips shop owners and operators can implement immediately, and at little cost, to help bring more dollars through the door.
Jul 22, 2025•33 min•Ep. 46
The on-again, off-again nature of the various tariffs that apply to our industry can be confusing. To help our listeners gain a better understanding of what tariffs currently apply and how they could soon affect collision repairers, we talk with veteran analyst PartsTrader Chief Industry Relations Officer Greg Horn. Go here for a summary on FenderBender.com of Greg's blog post, as well as a link to the original post.
Jul 08, 2025•31 min•Ep. 45
In California, the Bureau of Automotive Repair is implementing new regulations July 1 that will change how collision repairers will do business. These changes will be detailed in the Write it Right guide, also on July 1. Andrew Batenhorst, body shop manager of Pacific BMW in Glendale, California, Glendale and Foothill chapter president of the California Autobody Association, and FenderBender columnist, joins the CollisionCast to talk about five principal areas of change that will affect repair s...
Jun 24, 2025•29 min•Ep. 44
Vehicle complexity, including the growing average number of replacement parts — up by 15% — and lightweight parts that more often need to be replaced instead of repaired, means repair times are longer and the labor required for this is more specialized. This has increased severity. Meanwhile, claims frequency is down. In this CollisionCast episode, John Barbagallo, strategic advisor for fleet safety and compliance telematics firm SambaSafety, talks about some of the reasons for that, as well as ...
Jun 10, 2025•18 min•Ep. 43
A paint booth is essentially a large air mover. The freer air can move in and out, the better off you'll be. But if a booth is imbalanced, the air can be turbulent and dirty, and that creates more work to sand out and polish dirt nibs. In this CollisionCast episode, sponsored by Accudraft Paint Booths, Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht sits down with Jeremy Winters, content and marketing at Accudraft, to talk about the importance of having the right amount of airflow for each refinish coating....
May 27, 2025•29 min•Ep. 42
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, formed in 1949 by what is now known as Mental Health America. This year, its campaign theme is "Turn Awareness into Action," which celebrates "the progress we've made in recognizing the importance of mental health — and challenging us to turn understanding into meaningful steps toward change." In this month's FenderBender magazine feature , Andy Tylka, owner of TAG Auto Group in Indiana, understands these challenges firsthand. And he’s working hard to ensure...
May 13, 2025•23 min•Ep. 41
Join this episode of the CollisionCast, in which Mike Brockway, owner of Dabler Auto Body & Collision Repair in Salem, Oregon, talks with Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht about some of the challenges facing the collision repair industry today, including pushback from insurers on certain line items, and how he plans to meet the challenges in the coming months.
Apr 23, 2025•50 min•Ep. 40
Beginning in May, 3M is rolling out its new Front Office Collision Repair Training course. Intended for repair planners/estimators, adjusters, collision repair shop managers and owners, the focus of the three-day course is on foundational processes in the body repair and paint shop areas. FenderBender Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht talks with the two who developed the course, 3M Digital Performance Manager John Ascheman and Application Engineer Specialist Ryan Marrinan. The course is aimed at helping...
Apr 08, 2025•39 min•Ep. 39
In this CollisionCast episode, sponsored by AMAROK, Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht sits down with AMAROK Enterprise Development Manager Jackson Skey to talk about how improving your collision repair shop's security can be a turnkey solution that can give your customers peace of mind their vehicle is being cared for. It can even save time and reduce vehicle damage because vehicles may not need to be jockeyed around just so they can be stored inside each night. Join us as we uncover how easily a system...
Mar 25, 2025•17 min•Ep. 38
Women are not well represented in collision repair, and there’s one organization that aims to support women in this male-dominated field. Liz Stein, vice president of strategic initiatives at Certified Collision Group and current WIN chair, and Cheryl Boswell, CFO and partner for DCR Systems and a past WIN chair, discuss the importance of WIN and its impact.
Mar 11, 2025•22 min•Ep. 36
Following OEM procedures closely is needed not only to ensure proper calibrations of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS,) but can also help seed up works in process (WIP.) Hear how the co-founders of Lightning Auto Service advocate for proper procedures and some steps they've taken to reduce friction with insurers. Check out some of the resources they've made available here .
Feb 25, 2025•23 min•Ep. 37
Caliber Collision doesn’t just combat the tech shortage with their Technician Apprenticeship Program (TAP); they’re also changing the lives of active-duty service members by giving them a smooth transition not only to the collision repair industry but also to civilian life. Andrew Vaccaro, director of apprenticeships at Caliber Collision, discusses Caliber’s work in their Changing Lanes initiative.
Feb 11, 2025•16 min•Ep. 35
Focus Advisors is a mergers and acquisitions firm specializing in the collision repair market and helping MSO owners achieve maximum value through a strategic exit. President Chris Lane and Senior Associate Madeleine Roberts Rich join the CollisionCast to discuss how collision repair business owners can help prepare for a sale.
Jan 28, 2025•26 min•Ep. 34
An Abra location in Minnesota participated in a program that gives hands-on collision repair experience to public school teachers so they can apply what they learn to their own teaching. Danyell Wendland, an Abra operations manager, discusses how the program went and what the goal was.
Jan 14, 2025•14 min•Ep. 33
Donald Trump has long been an EV critic. How might his newly close ties to Elon Musk influence his position on EV policies and regulation? And how might proposed tariffs affect the auto parts supply chain? For insight, we talk with Abey Abraham, managing principal at consulting firm Ducker Carlisle, where he leads the company's automotive and materials practice.
Dec 24, 2024•27 min•Ep. 32
There are many ways to pay for the things you need in your shop, including financing. Paul Knowlton, an automotive service and collision repair equipment sales executive from Huntington National Bank, sat down with FenderBender to discuss why someone should consider financing, even if they have the cash on hand.
Dec 10, 2024•19 min•Ep. 31
As insurers tighten their purse strings and adopt more stringent policies, shop owners must navigate this evolving landscape with adaptability and resilience. As Tiffany Menefee, president of Pronto Body Shop in El Paso, Texas, notes in her December column, by focusing on strong customer relationships, meticulous documentation, and strategic business practices, repair shops can weather the storm and continue to thrive. She joins the CollisionCast to talk more about this and how shops can partner...
Nov 26, 2024•29 min•Ep. 30
Weeks after the recent Longshoreman strikes, we had a conversation with Ryan Mandell, director of claims performance for Mitchell International, Inc. He discusses how these events are impacting the collision repair industry and how to prepare for more logistical complications that may arise.
Nov 12, 2024•21 min•Ep. 29
According to Drew Bryant, owner of DB Orlando Collision and monthly FenderBender columnist, one of the most persistent and damaging myths in the world of auto repairs is that insurance companies are on the consumer's side. In his October column, he talks about the illusion of trust and how collision shop owners and consumers must work together to demand fair treatment and high-quality repairs. In today's episode, Drew talks about empowering our customers and enhancing the quality of our industry...
Oct 22, 2024•16 min•Ep. 28
Like many professionals, you probably thought about gathering the knowledge you gained during your time in the collision industry and passing it on to the next generation. If you want to know more about that transition, listen to Brian Pierce, the head of the collision repair program at Rosedale Technical College in Pittsburgh. He has valuable insights into being and becoming an instructor.
Oct 08, 2024•21 min•Ep. 27
Tom Wolf, director of strategic accounts and OEM aftersales at PPG Automotive Refinish, joins the CollisionCast to discuss why it's important to research refinishing considerations that may affect ADAS. It's a step that should be undertaken during repair planning, and PPG is one of the sponsors of the inaugural FenderBender and ABRN Best Repair Planner/Estimator Award. Check out MORE CollisionCast episodes online here!...
Sep 24, 2024•26 min•Ep. 26
The industry is constantly evolving through technology, often lacking the training or educational tools to maintain success, along with facing a shortage of young professionals entering the field. Collision repair associations across the country help meet those needs. For this CollisionCast, we speak with Megan Mueller, the founder and president of the Mountain States Collision Repair Association (MSCRA) . She is also the co-owner of Ozzie’s Body Shop in Loveland, Colorado. She shared insights i...
Sep 10, 2024•28 min•Ep. 25
Mary Mahoney, vice president of the Replacement & Leisure Division at Enterprise Mobility, and Matt Ebert, founder and CEO of Crash Champions, join the CollisionCast to talk about recruiting for the collision repair industry and the Collision Engineering program. The Collision Engineering program will be the primary beneficiary of the upcoming Crash Champions Golf Outing, Dec. 5 at Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point, California. In the past year, Crash Champions has hosted more than 25 C...
Aug 27, 2024•23 min•Ep. 24
The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) made an impact at the recent American School Counselor Association (ASCA) conference, where school counselors considered alternative career options for the students they guide.
Aug 13, 2024•29 min•Ep. 23
The I-CAR Academy curriculum is designed to prepare entry-level technicians for a collision repair career. I-CAR Director of Product Management Jesus Guerrero talks about how the Academy, with guided hands-on learning and gamification in five foundational learning areas, helps new hires become productive technicians.
Jul 23, 2024•41 min•Ep. 22
AI is making an impact across all sectors of business, including Collision Repair. FenderBender speaks with Ryan Taylor, the founder and CEO of Body Shop Booster, to learn more about what he is doing to develop AI for collision repairers and how AI can impact the industry.
Jul 09, 2024•23 min•Ep. 21
As the world is forced to adapt to climate change, it should spark interest among collision repairers on the matter of hail repair. FenderBender speaks to Dr. Stefan Liess, a climate researcher from the University of Minnesota, and Mo Kayeni of Elevated Hail Repair to learn more about the future of hail and whether collision repairers are up to the task.
Jun 25, 2024•28 min•Ep. 20
In this episode, the team at Ratchet+Wrench, a sibling publication to FenderBender, interviews Sara Fraser of Haas Performance Consulting to dispel the myths about Gen Z workers and discuss five traits that make them among the best workers in the workforce.
Jun 11, 2024•25 min•Ep. 19
Drew Barnes and Heather Sebben of the North American Council of Automotive Teachers discuss what NACAT is and how it serves the automotive industry. They are approaching their 50th anniversary of operation and plan to celebrate it at their annual conference this summer.
May 31, 2024•30 min•Ep. 18
Data security and privacy may seem hard to achieve, but there are solutions to those issues in collision repair. Pete Tagliapietra, the managing director and founder of DataTouch, explains what data pumps are, how they operate, and what DataTouch is doing about it.
May 14, 2024•27 min•Ep. 17
