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AASP/NJ Honors Peotter’s Auto Body and Spa as 2025 Body Shop of the Year
Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing AASP/NJ’s goal is to create a community of collision and mechanical shops that collaboratively advance and elevate the repair industry, and year after year, during its Annual Meeting, the association recognizes an outstanding member business with the Stan Wilson/New Jersey Automotive Body Shop of the Year Award. Peotter’s Auto Body and Spa (Summit) was named the 2025 honoree for being a “unique shop that does amazing work,” as AASP/NJ President Ken Miller explained as he presented the award. Shop manager/CEO Larry Peotter feels “truly honored and grateful” for the recognition, but he is especially proud of his team for making it possible.…
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Resuscitating Collision Repair Education
Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing It’s no secret that collision repair facilities have been struggling to staff their shops for years, so when industry leaders learned that Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical School (Billerica) was debating whether to eliminate its auto collision repair and refinishing program due to low enrollment, they couldn’t sit back quietly as the future of collision repair took another vicious blow. After finding that the program was potentially on the chopping block during an advisory board meeting in October, Torque Financial Group’s Rachel James took to social media with a post encouraging students, parents, industry professionals and members of the community…
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The Pros and Cons of PFML
Published in AASPMN News – Thomas Greco Publishing Effective January 1, 2026, Minnesota law mandates that all businesses must offer Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) to employees. Since most small businesses – including mechanical and collision repair shops – have never dealt with this process before, it’s not surprising that many have questions and concerns about how this new law will impact their businesses. AASPMN News is here to provide some important information and help shops take a look at the pros and cons of PFML. So, what exactly is PFML? It is a type of insurance that protects employees when the need for longer-term absences arise due to…
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Riding the Waves: Staying Strong Through a Collision Industry Downturn
Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Operating a collision repair facility is similar to a marriage in many ways; both require commitment, communication and resilience, especially when times get tough. As we learned from local and national industry experts, in order to survive and ultimately thrive, shops now must get creative, adjusting strategies and riding the unpredictable waves of economic uncertainty to stay afloat and emerge successfully. After several years of nurturing a heavier workload than normal, the market began shifting downward last year. “Not since the pandemic year of 2020 have so many US shops reported six-month sales and net profit being below the same period a…
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Third Time’s a Charm: CREF Scholarship Winner Takes Gold in Refinishing at 2025 SkillsUSA National Competition
Created for Collision Repair Education Foundation When it comes to excelling in a complex trade like collision repair and refinishing, persistence is key! Aleah Sauder has learned that lesson well, and her pertinacity was rewarded when she took home the gold medal in Automotive Refinishing Technology at the 2025 SkillsUSA National Competition, held in Atlanta, GA earlier this year. Her journey into collision began during high school. “I was on track to graduate a year early, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after high school,” Sauder recalls. “Since I had always enjoyed working in the garage with my dad, my mom encouraged me to try an automotive…
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Envisioning a Brighter Future: Industry Donates Record $726,500 to Collision Schools and Students via CREF 2025 Benchmark Awards
Created for Collision Repair Education Foundation Helen Keller once said, “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” Those words are truly embodied by the efforts of the collision repair industry which comes together each year to support future industry professionals by sponsoring the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s (CREF) Benchmark Award program, which provides funding to help instructors elevate their programs. This year’s donations broke past years’ record for giving to collision schools with the highest dollar amount to-date – $726,500 – bringing the total amount given via Benchmark Awards to over $5 million, with funds serving more than 50,000 collision students since the program’s inception in…
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CREF Needs YOUR Help Connecting Tomorrow’s Technicians with Today’s Best Resources!
Collision Schools Receive Over Half a Million Dollars via CREF’s 2024 Benchmark Grants to Support More Than 4,000 Future Repairers
CREF’s 22nd Annual Golf Fundraiser Gets Bigger and Better, Raises Over $110,000 for Collision Schools and Students!
