River Valley

Collision teachers invited to I-CAR PDP workshop at next MCRIA meeting

Rolla, Mo.—Collision repair teachers are invited to the next meeting of the Missouri Collision Repair Instructors Association, where it will host an I-CAR PDP workshop at Rolla Technical Institute on February 24 at 9:30 a.m. Collision repair instructors can download the current I-CAR Professional...

Lance Getz, of PPG, presented on OEM position statements and scanner use.

Shops need to conduct more diagnostic scans as OEMs incorporate more electronics

St. Louis—As more and more OEMs incorporate advancing electronics, including sensors that can be damaged or disrupted during a collision, shops must be increasingly diligent in their repair processes to ensure a safely repaired vehicle. Several vehicle manufacturers have recently issued position...

Owners Frank Mudro III (left) and Caleb Schriewer opened Full Service Automotive together. “Frank and I were both young and ambitious and wanted to make a name for ourselves as business owners. In 2013, we decided it was time to take our shot,” Schriewer says.

Humble beginnings pave the way for successful partnership

St. Louis—Full Service Automotive, in South St. Louis County, is a high-volume repair facility tucked away on a dead-end road. With a location off of the beaten path, owner Frank Mudro and business partner Caleb Schriewer had to make use of the fact that they were in a commercial and industrial...

Classic cars updated with modern performance are a focus of full builds at Classic Car Studio, says President Noah J. Alexander. It will display its recent build, a ’55 Chevy Nomad named “Gone Mad,” at the Detroit Autorama in February.

Classic designs style with performance

Brentwood, Mo.—Sitting four inches off the ground and draped over a road-hugging Roadster Shop Revo chassis with meaty 335/35/20 rear tires, “Gone Mad” still retains the timeless “shoebox” look that first hit the streets more than 60 years ago. But underneath its flawless skin, finished in a two-...

St. Louis I-CAR committee awards $25,000 in school grants

Hoffman Estates, Ill.—The St. Louis I-CAR Committees awarded six schools with $25,000 in school grants at the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s annual reception at SEMA. The schools applied for the Education Foundation’s 2016 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school grant and the funds...

Julie and Brad Zara (far right) present the Doenation check to board and staff members of Contact Ministries in Springfield, Ill., in January.

River Valley People & Places - February 2017

ILLINOIS/INDIANA/MISSOURI Area 30 Career Center, Greencastle, Ind., received a $5,000 grant, and Kennedy King College, in Chicago, received a $1,000 grant, as a Collision Repair Education Foundation’s 2016 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school grant winner. It was announced at the...

Jessica Ransom, along with her son Jordan, 15, and daughter Jayla, 6, were presented a totally refurbished 2006 Ford Focus.

River Valley People & Places - January 2017

ILLINOIS Zara’s Collision Center, of Springfield, presented a single mother a refurbished 2006 Ford Focus as part of its benevolence program. The vehicle was unwrapped during a recent luncheon ceremony of 150 attendees at Zara’s Collision Center. Each year for nearly 20 years Zara’s has been...

AASP-MO Gateway Collision Chapter members and the Marine Corps worked together at the annual Toys For Tots Social.

AASP-MO Annual Toys For Tots Collection Drive is another success

St. Louis—The AASP-MO Gateway Collision Chapter recently held a Toys For Tots toy drive in conjunction with the United States Marine Corps to collect toys for less fortunate children in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Area donations were collected by members and brought together at a special event...

Jeff Coffey, owner of Coffey Automotive, says staff stays trained through NAPA and Vision Hi Tech training.

Coffey keeps one step ahead

St. Charles, Mo.—Jeff Coffey, owner of Coffey Automotive, has seen the industry evolve over the last 40-plus years. “This past year we saw a lot of changes in vehicle electronics and creature features. The systems are becoming more advanced and you have to stay current with training and equipment...

Mike and Marcia Bach, owners of Mike Bach Auto Body, are preparing for their son, Jeremy, to take the reins of the business in the future.

I-CAR Gold Class shop gears up for second-generation succession

Belleville, Ill.—Among the antique memorabilia and imposing gas pump, the I-CAR Gold Class plaque on the wall is one of the first things to catch the eye at Mike Bach Auto Body. According to I-CAR, only about 10 percent of collision repair shops achieve Gold Class recognition. Bach figures he...