12 minute read

PROFILES IN SUPPORT

Auto Claim Specialists

At Auto Claim Specialists, utilizing our auto appraisal subsidiary Vehicle Value Experts, we take the time and expense combined with a personal level of attention to effectively determine the true value of the totaled vehicle prior to the accident. In fact, once the correct valuation is established, it is not uncommon for an insurer to reclassify a case from a total loss to a fixable vehicle. This is because the value of the vehicle is the most important input into total loss formulas. Erroneous valuations result in wrongly totaled cars.

The founder of Vehicle Value Experts, Robert McDorman, has been involved in every phase of the car business, from car washing as a teen to owner of multiple auto dealerships in his 20’s, to receiving national recognition as National Quality Dealer of the Year and Certified Master Dealer by his early 40’s. Robert is a loyal supporter of the success of the collision repair industry, serving on the ABAT Board of Directors and contributing monthly insights in Texas Automotive magazine’s “Ask the Expert” column. For more information and to learn how Auto Claim Specialists can assist you, please visit www.autoclaimspecialists.com.

AutoEsolutions

At AutoEsolutions, we specialize in ADAS system calibrations and repair, and Pre and Post Scanning. We also offer an alternative to long wait times at the dealerships for programming, electrical repair, and diagnostics. If you are a collision repair shop in need of outside alternatives to your auto electronic repair services, we can help.

As a mobile company, our team of local auto electronics experts will come to you, at your convenience no need to carve time out of your busy schedule Once at your facility, we will use our specialized equipment and expertise to return todays advanced vehicles back to pre-accident condition and ensure the ADAS systems work properly.

We pride ourselves on attention to detail, and our goal is to provide a professional service and excellent customer service. At AutoEsolutions, we’re committed to providing the services you need, when you need them. We look forward to working with you and your facility!

Please visit us online at www.autoesolutions. com or www.facebook.com/AutoEsolutions.

Beacon Equipment Resources

Beacon Equipment Resources is the premier full service automotive repair equipment source for Texas and Louisiana. With offices in Austin and Houston, Beacon Equipment can quickly respond to your equipment sales, service and maintenance needs. We represent a complete line of automotive collision equipment including paint booths, inverter spot welders, frame machines, electronic measuring and other body shop equipment. Our lines include Global Finishing Solutions spray booths, Pro Spot spot welders, Chief frame machines and the complete offering from The Collision Equipment Group and their 40 lines of body shop tools.

Automotive service equipment is also available from Beacon Equipment Resources. We are proud to represent Hunter Engineering and Challenger Lifts. Front end alignment machines, alignment racks, tire changers, and wheel balancers are all available from us in partnership with your local Hunter representative. We carry the entire line of Challenger lifts including two post lifts, 4 post lifts, and more.

Our offering of air compressors include rotary vane, rotary screw, and reciprocating style compressors from Mattei and Champion. RTI supplies our filtering and coalescing filters for humidity, oil, and dirt removal from your lines. We can also offer air lines for your shop in aluminum or cooper.

All of the items we offer are able to be serviced by Beacon Equipment. Our factory trained technicians can diagnose and repair most brands and types of equipment in your shop.

Beacon Equipment’s preventive maintenance department provides both scheduled and one time service on your paint booths and compressors. We perform annual cleaning and inspections as well as monthly or quarterly service for your filters.

Please allow us the opportunity to help grow your business! Visit us online at beacon-equipment.com or call us at 888-737-1997.

THE COLLISION REPAIR EDUCATION FOUNDATION (CREF)

The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. CREF hosts a number of career fairs nationwide to connect high school and technical college students with future employers.

Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs should contact Brandon Eckenrode, Managing Director, at 312-231-0258 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.

For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation, visit us online at: www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org.

DENTS.CO

Booth# 805 | https://dents.co

Negotiating fair repair pricing is hard. Doing it remotely through images sent to a call center is next to impossible.

Dents.co was born in the shop environment. As a smaller regional MSO, getting paid competitive repair times was always a challenge. So we began developing the solution; accurate damage area measurement and reporting built into a powerful and accessible app.

Dents.co was founded in 2020 and began fullscale development of what is now the Dents.co app. Our Founder, Jonathan Pyle was inspired to start this company with his vision to create software that reduces friction between stakeholders in the auto body repair industry. Today, we are helping shops just like yours to be paid fairly for the work you do and to document those repairs so there can be no question as to the work needed.

At Dents.co, we understand that shop owners and insurers have difficulty negotiating a fair price for repairs remotely. So we’ve created a mobile app that can help shops and insurers negotiate a price for repairs by quantifying the scope of the damage, allowing work to start quickly and repairs to be done the right way.

We believe safe, correct, profitable repairs are the only kind of repairs to make. We build the software tools to help you do just that.

Our flagship product is a mobile application that measures and visualizes auto body damage to ease repair time negotiations.

The Dents.co app measures the damage and provides reporting to quantify the damage in a way never before possible. Quantifying the scope of the damage allows negotiations to move more quickly with less friction so that repairs can get started promptly and completed the right way. Visit us online at https://dents. co/ or email contact@dents.co for more information. Come say hello at booth #805!

Ecotech Systems

Booth# 828 | Ecotechsystems.net

Specializing in Spray Booth Systems & Service for Over 20 Years

Founded in 1992, EcoTech Systems LLC specializes in spray booth systems for automotive, trucking, industrial and aviation needs.

We proudly represent Accudraft, an industry leader that has been setting the standard in spray booth technology for over 30 years. Made specifically for customers seeking superior equipment and an optimal drying experience, Accudraft paint booths stand above the competition, whether you are looking for automotive and truck paint booth applications, waterborne drying systems or fully customized industrial enclosures.

EcoTech provides turnkey installations, emergency repairs, ongoing service/maintenance plans and tear down and moving services. Our uniformed, factorytrained technicians are all employees with years of experience and know-how.

To serve our customers best, we are fully insured. We also maintain separate specialized install and service crews, which allows us to provide the best spray booth installations and gives us the capacity and skills to provide the best service, repairs and maintenance.

EcoTech is owned by Chris Curran, who started in the automotive collision repair industry in 1985 as an automobile painter. When auto painting shifted to the downdraft spray booth method, Chris saw an unfulfilled need for servicing and maintaining spray booths. A pioneer in the industry in Texas, he started EcoTech to fill this need.

Today, EcoTech has grown to serve auto, truck, aviation and industrial customers in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana with its experienced, in-house service and installation teams. To learn more about EcoTech and Accudraft, visit ecotechsystems.net, and come say hello at Booth 828!

FINDPIGTAILS.COM

Booth# 509 | Findpigtails.com

FindPigtails.com has over 350,000 connectors at your fingertips-delivered to your doorstep (Free, Same-Day Shipping).

Our website, findpigtails.com, was developed for you to quickly locate the connector you need, now. Complete with our entire online catalog, our pigtails will tell you exactly what functions & what vehicles they can be used for.

With many intuitive ways to search and find what you need, locating your connectors will be the easiest part of your day. Search by Year/Make/Model; keyword; continued on page 19

Profiles In Support

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VIN number decoding; manufacturer; or number of terminals.

For immediate, need-it-now answers, Live-Chat with us now. Schematics help, technical support, pricing, availability and ordering can all be done in immediate, real-time. You can even live-share your photos so together, we can help you determine what you need. Visit us online at findpigtails.com, and see us in person at Booth 509!

Innovative Collision Equipment

Booth# 600 | Innovativecollisionequipment.com

Innovative Collision Equipment’s mission is to provide the highest quality auto body repair equipment and supplies at the best prices for automotive repair shops across Texas and Louisiana.

In the 20 years since the start of Paint Works Automotive Paint & Supply, the parent company of Innovative Collision Equipment, we have grown from a small distribution center to a state-of-the-art distribution and training facility. We supply the best brands in the industry including Spanesi, GYS, Kayco, Polyvance, AIM, Innovative Tools and Technologies and more. We are also proud members of the Auto Body Association of Texas!

Visit Innovative Collision Equipment at Booth 600 or check us out online at innovativecollisionequipment.com for a complete inventory of collision equipment and auto body painting tools, or for more information about our training programs and support services

KECO BODY REPAIR PRODUCTS

Booth# 815 | Kecotabs.com

KECO is the pioneer of GPR (Glue Pull Repair) and fueled by your passion for the automotive industry. If your auto body shop is looking for the least invasive repair method, KECO is the company that manufactures, distributes, and trains GPR tools, accessories, and techniques for your team. With over 60 years of manufacturing expertise, unrivaled post-purchase support, and in-house advanced training options, KECO ensures your success and stands by your pursuit of the highest quality repair for your customer.

GPR will enhance your operation and provide you and your technicians with an invaluable skill set. This will enable you to return vehicles to your customers without future risks of corrosion or a potential buy-back scenario due to improper repair.

KECO’s Collision System is the only system designed with Shop Efficiency in mind and the widest range of tools to cover all repair scenarios in your shop, increasing profitability. You can purchase the leading GPR system, as well as other tools, tabs, glue, and accessories directly from KECO at kecotabs.com. If you have any questions or would like a 1-on-1 demonstration of the system, please contact KECO’s customer service and technical support team at 888.532.6822.

Based in Oklahoma City, where their products are proudly designed and distributed, KECO’s domestic operation guarantees fast and effective support. They also have dedicated facilities in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia if you are an auto body professional abroad. Visit KECO at Booth #815 and try GPR and have all your questions answered about how your shop can implement the least invasive repair method in the collision industry.

Visit KECO online at www.facebook.com/ KECOBodyRepairProducts and www.instagram.com/ kecodentrepair/

Paint Works

Booth# 600 | Paintworkstyler.com

When Chad Neal first arrived in Texas with his simple truck-and-trailer operation, he knew he could make an impact in the region. By acting as a wholesaler and consultant for body shops and collision repair specialists throughout the area, he was able to establish Paint Works as a valuable resource for the local industry. By offering a modern coating and refinishing product line called U-TECH, Paint Works took East Texas by storm. In 1999, Paint Works was the only AkzoNobel, Sikkens, and Lesonal distributor in East Texas, providing the highest quality automotive paint, supplies, and equipment products on the market. To this day, Paint Works has maintained its reputation, setting the standard for the automotive paint supply industry.

Chad Neal continued to support his industry by founding the Auto Body Association of Texas in 2015 to help bring the business community together for educational opportunities, networking, and more. Paint Works serves the auto body and collision repair industry by providing innovative and cutting edge color matching and automotive paint supply. We proudly stock a comprehensive inventory of high quality collision repair solutions and offer industry training to our partners, making us one of the best equipped and best informed shops in the United States.

Paint Works exists because of our customers in East Texas, Southern Arkansas, and Northern Louisiana. As we continue to grow, we are committed to adding industry experience, increased efficiency, and total coverage for body shop and collision repair industry needs. Since our founding, we have been committed to bringing the newest, most innovative technology to our customers. For more information on Paint Works, our quality AkzoNobel, Sikkens, and Lesonal automotive paint products, our consulting services for the collision repair industry, and more, visit us online at paintworkstyler.com. Come say hello to Chad at Booth 600!

PPG

Booth# 607 | www.ppg.com

At PPG, we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for nearly 140 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 75 countries and reported net sales of $16.8 billion in 2021. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets.

As we continue to make PPG the best place to work, where we can all thrive, deliver and grow, a consistent leadership model is key to improving retention, engagement and performance. Through The PPG Way to Lead, we will improve the quality of our leadership which will enable higher performance across our businesses. The PPG Way to Lead is another way we will continue to do better today than yesterday – every day. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com, and make sure to come visit us at Texas Auto Body Trade Show Booth 607.

RELIABLE AUTOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT Over 30 Years of Dedicated, Superior Service History!

Founded in 1987, Belford, NJ-based Reliable Automotive Equipment (RAE) has a first class presence in the automotive aftermarket. RAE has demonstrated superior customer service for over 30 years while tailoring its equipment solutions to the ever-changing automotive market. Our business has been built on exceptional employees who consistently offer fast turn around, outstanding service and first-rate training.

Repair technology is ever-increasing. It is our goal to support new technology and provide our customers with the correct resources to repair vehicles consistent with manufacturers’ approved methods and procedures.

To be successful in the 21st century, you need to create a sustainable competitive advantage for both you and your customers. We at RAE have built collaborative relationships with a network of global companies to give you the best of both worlds: World-class product development expertise combined with unrivaled local support.

The result? Outstanding product performance, unsurpassed product quality and most of all, the human touch. So no matter what your equipment needs, RAE is here.

Visit RAE online at raeservice.com.

Tasco Auto Color

Booth# 910 | Tascoautocolor.com

For over 50 years Tasco Auto Color has been setting the standard for distribution of refinish coatings to the auto body repair industry. At TASCO, we believe that a trusting relationship and superior customer service, along with high quality paint and repair products, are the keys to success. Throughout our markets we are proud to be aligned with some of the top performing independent collision centers, multiple shop operations, car dealerships, and national automotive collision centers. The commitment to our customers’ overall success has lead to us fostering the highest customer satisfaction, and retention rate in the country. As a result we were awarded PPG’s Platinum Distributor of the year in 2005 and 2016, and have grown to be PPG’s largest Platinum Distributor in the country. So, whether you need an auto body shop management program, paint, equipment, training, or technical support, we hope to be the one phone call you make for all of your collision repair center needs.

For more information on Tasco Auto Color, please visit tascoautocolor.com or call us at 800-842-7608.

Usi Of North America

Booth# 806 | USIus.com

The USI journey began in the 1970s, and things have really expanded over the years! For over four decades, we’ve been providing our customers’ unrelenting dedication, commitment and pure passion. We are now an international company, as we’ve grown to include three worldwide branches – USI North America, USI Iberia and USI Brazil.

By keeping up with the ever-changing demands of the collision repair industry, and being at the forefront of innovation, we’ve maintained a great deal of success. Quality and customer service are our top priorities, and in remembering those ideals, we’ve kept USI Italia as an undisputed leader in the spray booth market. It is due to our hardworking staff – everyone from our technical expertise, to our specialized workers, designers and engineers, that USI North America is a world-class leader in the collision repair refinish industry.

Visit us at Booth 806, or online at usius.com.

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