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A large fire destroyed a decades-old family-run auto repair shop and disrupted the flow of water in Meaford Thursday night.
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Black smoke from the blaze at Johnny B’s Automotive and Car Care was seen as far away as Owen Sound and The Blue Mountains as neighbors reported hearing explosions and being overwhelmed by fumes and heat.
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No injuries were reported as of Friday morning.
The city issued a news release early Friday morning asking residents to connect to the municipal water system to avoid municipal drinking the water and to limit consumption as much…
Automotive repair
Ongoing technician shortage continues to pose challenges
New reports are highlighting the consequences of the ongoing collision, auto, and diesel technician shortages including at least one college recently pausing its collision repair program due to low enrollment.
As the industry works to fill critical roles, details continue to emerge and highlight how available talent is affecting their businesses.
A 2022 survey commissioned by the Collision Engineering Program (CEP) indicated that there is a lack of awareness about collision repair careers, although people are open to exploring them. It found just 17% of survey respondents were “very familiar” with collision repair or engineering. The survey revealed that those…
Würth Additive Group CEO joins 3D Printing in Auto Repair Task Force
Industrial 3D printing specialist Würth Additive Group has announced its CEO AJ Strandquist has joined new task force focused on the use of additive manufacturing (AM) technology within the automotive repair industry.
The 3D Printing in Auto Repair Task Force has bold ambitions to revolutionize the automotive collision repair process with 3D printed parts. The goal is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of automotive repair by allowing collision repair professionals to access replacement parts faster and on-demand, while minimizing inventory, waste and environmental impact. The task force also said to be exploring the potential for 3D printing custom parts…
Garage that offers low-cost car repairs to those in need opens in Beavercreek
Owner and founder Terri Fleck was inspired by her father, who was a lifelong automotive mechanic, and her work as a social worker, in which she consistently saw clients with issues fixing their cars or otherwise getting reliable transportation.
“It was a recurring theme,” Fleck said Monday. “’How can I get my car fixed? I can’t afford that.’ So it’s always been in the back of my mind, like we need to do something about this.”
After doing some research, Fleck discovered that there were few, if any, offerings of this kind in the region, save for church or charity…
Car repair prices are rising much faster than overall inflation. Here’s why.
When Pat Clynes pushed down the gas pedal on his Ford Explorer during a drive in Houston, Texas, in July 2022, an otherwise routine day became the start of what he later described as a nightmare.
The car failed to accelerate like it usually does, triggering immediate concern that something was wrong, Clynes said.
Since he thought the car was under warranty, Clynes brought it to a Ford dealership, where an employee later told Clynes it would cost nearly $1,400 just to identify the problem.
Weeks later, the dealership identified the problem as engine failure and said it would cost…
OEMs, analysts share expected automotive trends that will shape 2024
Brand Innovators has compiled OEM insights heading into the new year related to anticipated artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicle (EV) and sustainability trends.
Automaker perspectives on what lies ahead for the industry could prove useful for repairers who are looking forward to determining how to prepare their facilities for upcoming needs.
Angela Zepeda, Hyundai’s chief marketing officer, told Brand Innovators that she expects to see a number of technological advancements next year.
“Electric vehicles, which cooled in 2023, will continue to increase in adoption in 2024,” Zepeda said. “Autonomous vehicles, while still in their infancy, will begin to increase exponentially…
All-Female Auto Repair Shop Lets Clients Get Mani-Pedis While Waiting For Their Cars
Girls Auto Clinic (GAC) was founded in 2013 by Patrice Banks (Girls Auto Club Facebook)
A Pennsylvania entrepreneur left her 6-figure engineering job to volunteer at mechanic shops around her area to learn how to fix cars, and founded the Girls Auto Clinic when she was finished.
The GAC is the first of its kind in the nation, and offers car care memberships, car care education classes, and hands-on mechanic workshops for women looking to learn the skills for themselves.
Patrice Banks was working at DuPont, and decided to double her workload and enroll in a mechanic’s night school, where…
Steer Automotive attracts European investors as Keyhaven exits
Private equity firm Keyhaven Capital Partners has agreed to sell its equity stake in independent collision repair group Steer Automotive to pan-European private equity investor Oakley Capital.
The bodyshop group’s founder Richard Steer and the current management team will continue to lead the business and are reinvesting alongside Oakley. As part of the transaction, Oakley will acquire the shares held by Keyhaven Capital Partners and Chiltern Capital.
Since Capital’s and Keyhaven’s investments in 2021, Steer completed 18 acquisitions to create a network of over 100 repair centers across the country. The group has expanded from its core passenger car repair…