St. Peters, Mo.—While business owners are faced with tough decisions every day, Brad and Linda Ward, co-owners of Auto Collision Center, said deciding to switch from a solvent-based paint system to waterborne paint was an easy choice.

Ranken Car Show & Alumni Reunion attendees gather despite the rain.

Arnold, Mo.—Any well-run business is like a three-legged stool, supported by employees, customers, and profitability.  Shortness in any leg can cause it to topple.

Vandalia, Ill.--Getting shop owners what they want when they want it is vital to being a successful jobber, said Ken and Diane Torbeck, co-owners of Vandalia Auto Supply, who added that this is especially true in a rural community.

Chesterfield, Mo.—What’s in a name?  For Russ Leeker, Carstar means success.  So when Leeker, longtime general manager and vice president of Car Craft Carstar, helped to open a second collision repair facility for his owner, James Mason, nearly two years ago, he said he did so with the confidence backed by Carstar and its proven, standardized processes, which he had come to know over the last two decades.

Creve Coeur, Mo.—With a Weber Chevrolet as an anchor, the Weber Chevrolet’s Collision Center has managed to rise above the current adverse conditions of General Motors’ bankruptcy and reorganization, and the current industry slump, Manager Butch Schaedler said. 

Webster Groves, Mo.--As a familiar sight for more than five decades in the tight-knit Webster Groves business district, Auto Beauty Specialists has created quite a reputation for quality repairs and customer service.

St. Charles, Mo.–Properly framing the customer experience was the main topic of discussion during “Customer Relations and Collision Repair,” one of four collision repair classes offered at the Excel Trade Show and Training Conference on Sept. 18-20 at the Saint Charles Convention Center by the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Missouri (AASP-MO). 

Maryville, Ill.--Kurt Mueller, owner of Kurt’s Carstar, knows he needs to create an impression on people before they need his services.  Building “top-of-mind” awareness of his shop, before his customers get into accidents, has been a main ingredient to success, Mueller said.

Imperial, Mo.—As many collision repair shop owners cope with a slowing economy, many turn to restoration body and paintwork, but that’s not as easy as it may sound, said John Riehn, owner of John’s Autobody & Paint.

Pleasant Hill, Mo.--Do you still have questions about compliance with the new EPA National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)? Rest assured you are not alone.