Richmond, British Columbia -- August 27, 2012 -- Wedge Clamp Systems has announced the addition of Marc Bourne to the position of General Manager Sales.
Bourne brings with him 25 years of experience in sales management and marketing, including senior management positions at General Electric consumer products division , Gallo Wines and Coast Wholesale Appliances.
Bourne has a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Finance and Marketing, and is married with two children. A statement from the company says Bourne will work with customers and continue to build the Wedge Clamp and NITROHEAT brands. Bourne can be reached by email to
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or by calling 800-615-9949. He can also be reached via cell at 604-349-6665.
Markham, Ontario -- August 14, 2012 -- It takes more than a little rain to stop Discount Car and Truck Rentals. Despite a gloomy start to the day, the company's most recent annual golf tournament still managed to bring in over 100 industry stakeholders. Collision repair professionals, insurers and suppliers were all on hand at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont., to help help Discount Car and Truck Rentals raise funds for the Chase McEachern Foundation.
The Chase McEachern Foundation purchases automated external defibrillators for use in arenas and schools. McEachern, an 11-year-old Barrie elementary school student and avid hockey player, died in 2006 after going into cardiac arrest. Prior to his death, he had lobbied to have automated external defibrillator units installed in public buildings. Last year's Discount Car golf tournament funded two AEDs in the North Bay area.
Shane Campbell took home the prize for Longest Drive - Men, while Jen Rykman took the Longest Drive - Women. Wendy Hillier won Closest to the Pin - Women, and Robin Juns won Closest to the Pin - Men.
Discount Car and Truck Rentals would like to thank all of sponsors whose generous support helped to make the golf tournament a success: CARSTAR Automotive Canada, CSN Collision & Glass, Assured Automotive, Fix Auto, Atlantic Collision Group, The Dominion, Desjardins, RBC Insurance, Audi, BMW, Chrysler, DEL, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedez Benz, Toyota, Multivans,Audatex, Mitchell, HKMB Hub Intl., KPMG, Riynat, Canadian Hail Repair, M&T Bank and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Norcross, Georgia -- July 30, 2012 -- The San Antonio Convention Center in San Antonio, Tex. was the host site for the presentation of the 2012 AkzoNobel Automotive & Aerospace Coatings Americas (A&AC) Most Influential Women in the Collision Repair Industry (MIW) recognition ceremony. 2012 marked the thirteenth year for the prestigious and coveted industry recognition.
Award honourees follow in the footsteps of more than seventy past recipients, They hold leadership positions within industry associations, shop operation and service sectors of the US and Canadian collision repair industry. They were selected for their contributions to the organizations they represent as well as the automotive industry at large and their respective communities. They are:
Kim Roberts, Catherine Mills and Kim Parson.
• Kim Roberts – Manager, Fix Auto – Barrie, Ontario
• Kim Parson – President, Automotive Collision Technologies Inc. – Randallstown, MD
• Catherine Mills – Executive Director, Florida Autobody Collision Alliance – Orange Park, FL
“The collision repair industry’s collective strength, image, and long-term sustainability, is dependent on individuals who have a passion, a vision and a vested interest in its future,” said Margret Kleinsman, General Manager for AkzoNobel A&AC Americas. “The leaders we are honoring with this prestigious award all share these qualities and are among the top tier of those who continue to make this a vital industry.”
The MIW program was established in 1998 with the first awards being presented in 1999 by AkzoNobel to both recognize and promote the contributions of key leaders representing a valuable resource pool for the collision repair industry. The MIW program also enables scholarships, administered thru I-CAR, to be provided to deserving women seeking to advance their education and pursue career opportunities within the collision repair industry. Over MIW’s 14-year history, 69 women have received MIW awards.
The by-invitation-only celebration event was held July 19 at the San Antonio Convention Center. The program coincided this year with the I-CAR Inter-Industry Conference and Collision Industry Conference (CIC) events.
Montreal, Quebec -- July 30, 2012 -- As part of a succession plan for the company, Guy Bessette, Chairman of the Board of Directors is proud to announce that Steve Leal will join the shareholding of Fix Auto Canada in the coming months. Effective October 1, 2012, a new entity will own all the provincial entities and Fix Auto Canada. This new partnership will also form part of the company’s succession plan.
Bessette, Duplantie and Leal will be shareholders in the new Fix Auto Canada entity. Duplantie and Bessette firmly believe in Leal, who will be leading the new company. As a result they have decided to welcome him as a shareholder.
The transaction will go into effect October 1, 2012. Leal will become President of Fix Auto Canada at that time. Duplantie will fill the role of Strategic Advisor to the President. Bessette will continue in his position of Chairman.
According to a statement from Fix Auto Canada, this succession plan is intended to be fully transparent without any changes to either the teams in place in any province or with the head office in Quebec and its regional offices.
Fix Auto Canada says this new approach will allow the network to further standardize its processes and to be more effective in communication and decision making, delivering better results to Fix Auto's strategic partners.
For more information on Fix Auto, please visit fixauto.com.
Hamilton, Ontario -- July 28, 2012 -- Terry Holowaty has been appointed CARSTAR’s new Quality Systems Specialist for Western Canada.
As a member of CARSTAR’s Quality Systems (CQS) team, Holowaty will work directly with franchise partners in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, helping them to understand and implement CQS best practices in the technical, estimating and production aspects of their operations. He will also work towards supporting the needs of CARSTAR’s Insurance Partners in these regions, ensure their customer’s vehicles are repaired correctly and within a timely manner, in accordance with CARSTAR’s quality standards.
“This appointment of Terry Holowaty is very important for our Western market ensuring they operate as best in class stores,” said Lloyd Wheeler, CARSTAR’s Regional Director – Western Canada. “Terry’s experience and expertise in effective production, technical logistics and estimating practices will be invaluable to our current and future CARSTAR Partners in the Western provinces.”
Holowaty is trained as a Journeyman Autobody Technician, with over 25 years of experience in the collision repair industry, including 15 years of experience at the managerial level. In addition, Terry has run his own independent auto damage appraiser company.
He will be working closely with CARSTAR’s Regional Director for Western Canada, Lloyd Wheeler, to help satisfy the needs of CARSTAR’s Franchise and Insurance Partners and continue to build the brand throughout the region.
