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Author Archives: Chris Collier
Freedom For Repair and Replacement: Auto Glass Shops Celebrate July 4
America celebrates its 247th birthday and independence from Great Britain this July 4. U.S. auto glass shops are taking a brief break next week to celebrate the occasion. We asked some shop owners what the Fouth of July means for … Continue reading
Man Finds Car Windows Smashed and Blood on Seats After Day Out at Scots Beach
“They smashed the windows and it seemed like they tried to hotwire the car. There seemed to be blood on the windows and inside the car. The police have taken away my car to carry out an investigation. I’m just … Continue reading
Auto Glass Techs Battle Oppressive Heat
Summer hit Christopher Grafe like a brick. The owner/operator of Texas Glass in Boerne, Texas, Grafe is smack dab in the middle of a draining heat wave making auto glass repairs and replacements more challenging. Texas Glass, Boerne, Texas “We … Continue reading
Mechanical Memories: Peter Brown Shares Father’s Automotive Legacy
Peter Brown, president of Tiny and Sons Auto Glass in Pembroke, Mass., remembers his father James “Tiny” Brown and his interest in cars well. James “Tiny” Brown used his passion as a springboard to support children with learning differences. Years … Continue reading
Melody Reddell Passes Away at 55
After nearly three years of battling cancer, Melody (Lloyd) Reddell passed away on June 13, 2023, at age 55. Melody and her husband, own Pace Glass in Texarkana. She was the wife of past National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA) president … Continue reading
Auto Glass Tech Navigates Philly’s I-95 Collapse
Travel was blocked in both directions after a section of Interstate 95 (I-95) collapsed Sunday following a large vehicle fire that broke out beneath an overpass in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro cautioned it would take “months” to repair the … Continue reading
Leroy Ayers Delivers 20-Year Industry Run
Leroy Ayers joined PGW Auto Glass’ Denver location as a temporary windshield delivery driver in 2003. Ayers had bounced throughout the retail industry and was ready for something more. He found that something in the auto glass industry just 30 … Continue reading
Posted in glassBYTEs Original Story
Tagged Atlanta, Auto Glass Week, Denver, PGW Auto Glass
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A Small Businesses’ Guide to the Silicon Valley Bank Collapse
Silicon Valley Bank, catering to the tech industry for three decades, collapsed on March 10, 2023, after a bank run. State regulators seized the bank and made the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) its receiver. According to PBS NewsHour, the … Continue reading
Safelite Group Acquires Reliable Glass Division
Safelite Group, a vehicle glass services and recalibration company and owner of Safelite AutoGlass, announced an agreement to acquire the auto glass assets of Reliable Glass headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz. The transaction was completed on Friday, October 14, 2022 and … Continue reading
Posted in glassBYTEs Headlines
Tagged Arizona, Binswanger, Genuine Auto Glass, Phoenix, Reliable Glass, Safelite Group
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Bud Oliver Receives Auto Glass Industry’s Highest Honor
The Carl F. Tompkins Award for Auto Glass Safety is sponsored by the Auto Glass Safety Council and named after long-time industry veteran Carl Tompkins. Tompkins was recognized as the first recipient of the award, then known as the Auto … Continue reading
AGRR Magazine Visits Equalizer
Auto Glass Week™ is just 57 days away, and top industry suppliers are eager to connect with attendees live and in person. AGRR magazine’s Chris Collier traveled to Equalizer to highlight its event goals, its Sentinel Setting Device and its … Continue reading
Posted in glassBYTEs Original Story
Tagged AGRR magazine, Auto Glass Academy, Auto Glass Week, Chris Collier, Equalizer
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Chris Collier Visits San Antonio Auto Glass Shop
Auto Glass Week™ is just 62 days away, and local San Antonio dealer Tommy’s Auto Glass and Windshield Repair is preparing to attend its first show. AGRR magazine’s Chris Collier chatted with its team to discover their event goals.
The Sights and Sounds of San Antonio
Auto Glass Week™ is under 100 days away, and exhibitors and attendees are gearing up for the most extensive industry experience yet. Take a stroll through the Alamo City with assistant editor Chris Collier as he walks you through activities … Continue reading
Posted in glassBYTEs Original Story
Tagged Alamo City, Auto Glass Week, Chris Collier, San Antonio
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Training Day: Equalizer Trainer Reflects on Drastic Career Change
Kevin Stoever worked at drugstores from 2002 to 2021. Stoever’s nearly two-decade career started in the stocking and photo departments at Walgreens, where he would move into assistant and store manager roles. He made similar strides at CVS years later … Continue reading
Posted in glassBYTEs Original Story
Tagged CVS, Equalizer, Gilbert Gutierrez, Kevin Stoever, Shauna Davis, Walgreens
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J.D. Power Study Reveals Diminished Auto Insurance Satisfaction
A record-high number of serious collisions, skyrocketing used-vehicle prices and surging repair costs create an undesirable scenario for auto insurers: raise rates or go out of business. The newly-released J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Auto Insurance Study highlights that customer satisfaction … Continue reading
Repairing, Replacing and … Tinting?
What’s your latest money multiplier? For Gilbert Quesada, owner of All Star Glass in Bosque Farms, N.M., repeat customers are facilitated and funneled with window film. “A customer will schedule a windshield replacement, and see all of my film and … Continue reading
Rash of Break-ins in Hampton With Over 20 Cars Hit. Police See ‘Larger Issue’ in New England
“We’re looking at the possibility of the larger issue throughout New England,” said Hampton Deputy Police Chief Alex Reno. “A number of communities in a number of different states have experienced a rash of similar thefts.” Click here to read … Continue reading
Fix Network Hosts ‘Trades Experience Day’
Fix Network recently hosted the graduating class of pre-apprenticeship body technicians from Tropicana Community Services for its first Fix Network ‘Trades Experience Day’ at its Milton facility in Ontario, Canada. Tropicana’s Auto Body and Collision Damage Repairer pre-apprenticeship program is … Continue reading
Posted in glassBYTEs Headlines
Tagged Canada, Fix Network, Tropicana Community Services
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The Major Problems Blocking America’s Electric Car Future
Just a decade and a half ago, the then-CEO of General Motors Co. Rick Wagoner observed to Larry Burns, at the time GM’s head of research and strategy, that not many industries stay the same for a century. But the … Continue reading
NOVUS Glass Plants its Flag in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec
NOVUS Glass, an automotive glass repair and replacement brand, has reinforced its presence in Canada with the opening of a location in Quebec’s St-Hyacinthe region. NOVUS Glass St-Hyacinthe marks a milestone in entrepreneur Real Arcand’s aftermarket career. Arcand, who has … Continue reading
Mitchell and Inspektlabs Team Up for AI-Generated Vehicle Appraisals
Mitchell announced Wednesday, Aug. 25 a collaboration with Inspektlabs that will bring together its advanced claims automation solution, Mitchell Intelligent Estimating, with Inspektlab’s artificial intelligence to automatically generate appraisals for vehicle owners from photos or videos of damaged vehicles. According … Continue reading
Posted in glassBYTEs Headlines
Tagged artificial intelligence (AI), Inspektlabs, Mitchell
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Gerber Collision & Glass Acquires Repair Center in Springfield, Missouri
The Boyd Group Inc. (the “Boyd Group”) announced the acquisition of a collision repair center in Springfield, Mo. This repair center operated as St. Louis Street Auto Body and served the community since 1965. Located in southwestern Missouri, Springfield is … Continue reading
Boyd Group Reports 44% Sales Increase and Demand for Labor in U.S.
As the business world continues to operate nearly a year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic, The Boyd Group announced Wednesday that sales are up and demand has increased in the U.S. for the company’s services to the point … Continue reading
Posted in glassBYTEs Headlines
Tagged COVID19, Gerber Collision and Glass, The Boyd Group
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Fix Auto Adds New Location in Canada
Fix Auto Calgary Center in Alberta, Canada, is the latest shop to join Fix Network’s array of Canadian locations. Owner Gurveer Randev believes the aftermarket industry has always been a part of his DNA, with his family operating successful automotive … Continue reading
Gerber Collision & Glass Opens Repair Center in Round Rock, Texas
The Boyd Group Inc. (the “Boyd Group”) announced the opening of a collision repair center in Round Rock, Texas. This repair center is located approximately 20 miles northeast of Austin by an area with a population of 2.3 million people. … Continue reading
Mander Collision and Glass Opening New Location in Cedarburg, Wisconsin
Mander Collision and Glass Opening New Location in Cedarburg, Wisconsin
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Meet Chip—Marketer—and Mascot—Extraordinaire
Once John Perkins, president of Genuine Auto Glass in Seattle, Wash., decided he wanted to create a company mascot, he shared his idea with vice president/general manager Jeff Crane. Crane pulled out a napkin, drew an original draft and sent … Continue reading
Posted in glassBYTEs Original Story
Tagged advertising, Genuine Auto Glass, marketing
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AGSC Alerts Members of Pertinent Legislation
The Auto Glass Safety Council (AGSC) sent out a ‘legislative alert’ to notify its members of several bills that are under review in Colorado, Massachusetts and Oregon. The organization says the legislation could impact business. Colorado The punishment for certain … Continue reading
Posted in glassBYTEs Headlines
Tagged Auto Glass Safety Council, Colorado, legislation, Massachusetts, Oregon
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Rookie and Veteran Competitors Make Mark at AGW
This year’s Auto Glass Week™ (AGW) competitions were fierce. From June 7-9, the country’s finest repair and replacement technicians, calibrators and customer service representatives battled inside the walls of the Orange County Convention Center. When the dust settled and the … Continue reading
Posted in glassBYTEs Original Story
Tagged Auto Glass Week, Auto Glass Week Competitions
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Auto Glass Techs Take on Western Heat Waves
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Thursday, addressing power grid concerns spurred by scorching temperatures that have climbed as high as 118 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. It’s the latest in the heat-wave crisis that … Continue reading
REHAU Group Re-Organizes and Revamps Business Structure
The REHAU Group announced that it is setting up REHAU Automotive and REHAU Industries as separate companies within the Group, dividing the company currently known as REHAU AG + Co. Together with RAUMEDIC and Meraxis as well as the recently … Continue reading
AGW Competitors Gear up and Share Strategies
The Auto Glass Week™ competitions, to be held June 7-9 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., are fast approaching. How are competitors prepping for the showdowns? TJ Tirado, owner of Windshield Fitters Inc. and Rock Chip USA, … Continue reading
In COVID-19’s Aftermath, U.S. Auto Glass Shops Begin Anew
On May 13, exactly 14 months or 426 days after the U.S declared a national emergency due to COVID-19, the CDC announced that fully-vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under … Continue reading
U.S. Report Finds Anti-Competitive Repair Restrictions
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a report finding that product manufacturers engage in anti-competitive repair restrictions and that there is “scant evidence to support manufacturers’ justifications” for their ongoing practices. FTC found numerous types of restrictions imposed, including … Continue reading
Colonial Pipeline Restarted as Shops Assess Damage
The 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline began restarting its operations Wednesday evening after a ransomware attack that crippled the system for six days and led to gas shortages across the Southeast, according to CNN. Pipeline operators have cautioned that it could take … Continue reading
7 Easy Things to do Before Heading to Auto Glass Week
If you are making your way to Auto Glass Week™(AGW), here are 7 steps to help ensure you have the best possible experience. 1. Review the agenda and plan your days. 2. Check out the show floor online to see … Continue reading
Geico Data Breach Leads to Class-Action Lawsuit
Plaintiffs Alexander Mirvis, Betty Butler and Lainie Froehlich filed a class action complaint against defendant Geico over a recent data breach that compromised the Social Security numbers, addresses, credit card numbers and driver’s license numbers of current and former customers. … Continue reading