ASA Legislative Analyst Ben Sharp interviews ASA Chairman Scott Benavidez on latest developments in the industry on the sidelines of MSO Symposium.

In this ASA podcast episode, Scott Benavidez, AMAM, sits down with ASA Legislative Associate Ben Sharp on the sidelines of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Indianapolis to discuss ASA’s new policy position statement on compensation for time spend researching OEM repair procedures. Scott is the Chairman of ASA’s Board of Directors and owner of Mr. B’s Paint and Body Shop Inc. in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Dan Stander is the General Manager at Fix Auto Highlands Ranch in Littleton, Colorado. 

He also currently serves the Automotive Service Association as a General Director and serves ASA Colorado as the Collision President. 

This episode is sponsored by Mail Shark

I am so excited to be welcoming John Firm to the show today.

John Firm is an ASA Member in Fort Worth, Texas and owns Firm Automotive.

He also currently serves the Automotive Service Association as the Mechanical Division Operations Director.

Firm Automotive has been in business for over 37 years and they're known as the go-to crew for diesel and gasoline fleet repair in North Texas.

John shares a little more of his background, how Firm Automotive has withstood a few stock market crashes, and why he has created the culture of family within the shop.

He is BIG on adventure, loves the outdoors, and finds as many ways as possible to give back to the community he serves.

Connect with John on Social Media (Facebook: Buckaroobob Bucknbob) and visit his website, http://www.firmautomotive.com to learn more about Firm Automotive.

Episode Presented by: Mail Shark

I am so excited to be welcoming Brandon to the show today.

Brandon Mehdizadeh is the General Manager at LaMettry's Collision-in Minnetonka. He also currently serves the Automotive Service Association as the Collision Division Operations Director.

Listen in as Brandon shares:

• His path to General Manager and the culture they're building,
• What the ASA Collision Division Operations Committee is working on, and
• How he knew it was time to serve the industry in a greater capacity.

This episode of the ASA Podcast is sponsored by Mail Shark.

I am so excited to be welcoming Al Oramas, President Pro Auto Care, in Colorado to the show today.

Since 1992, Pro Auto Care has been providing the highest quality auto repair services in the Denver metro area.

At Pro Auto Care, they believe in serving the community and building a family culture at both their Denver and Littleton locations.

Join us as Al shares:

• How both of his small businesses give back to their local communities and help make a difference for many of the local non-profit organizations.
• Ways he has worked with his team to build a family culture.
• The importance of being an Automotive Service Association member and how it has helped his business.

With over three decades of service to the automotive industry, we are thankful for Al's commitment and dedication to the elevating the independent automotive repair industry.

This episode is presented by Dell Technologies.

Mark T. Allen joined Audi of America as the Collision Programs and Workshop Equipment Manager in August of 2011, responsible for the collision program, electric vehicle service strategy and workshop equipment for Audi.  

Mark’s 44-year career in the automotive industry has spanned various areas including collision, insurance, parts, machinist and equipment repair and sales.  

Mark holds and B.S. in Marketing/Management from Ramapo College of N.J. and is a long-term member of the Society of Automotive Engineers, is DIN ISO Certified to weld aluminum, and has is Board Member of ICAR having served on the Executive Board for about 5 years.  

In this podcast, Mark discusses how to safely and effectively perform repair and maintenance for electric vehicles (EVs) including: 

• Necessary education and training for service repair professionals working on EVs in shops 
• Safety precautions and protocols for de-energizing high voltage systems, and recommended uniform and tools to be used while repairing EVs 
• Recommendations for safe layout and architecture of shops repairing EVs, and necessary equipment for the repair, transport, and disposal of EV batteries 
• The availability and accessibility of OEM repair procedures to all shop owners, including repair procedures for electric vehicles 

In this episode, we welcome Jeff Buckley, ASA Member from Midlothian, Texas.

Jeff is the owner of My Father’s Shop and he is helping lead efforts to give back to high schools around the nation.

Most recently, he has donated five vehicles to the automotive program at Vanguard High School in Mesquite, Texas to help automotive instructors train their students. 

But it isn't all about the vehicles. 

Jeff also shares how his work started with high schools and several ideas that other Shop Owners can do to help the next generation in and around your community.