Ottawa, Ontario — May 16, 2016 — The Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada has issued a statement saying it will launch a nation-wide collision facility accreditation program in the fall of 2016.
Tony Canade, AIA Canada Chair and President of Assured Automotive, provided some background on the decision. “The industry is seeing a rapid growth in OE certified repair network programs, each with different standards and costs to participate,” he says. “AIA has been approached by a considerable number of major networks and multi-store owners (MSOs) from the Canadian industry to provide a neutral and cost-effective way to get their shops accredited against these programs.”
OEM accreditation is a major trend within the collision repair industry, with some programs growing quickly. Jean-François Champagne, President of AIA Canada, indicated that the organization’s previous work with the collision repair industry repair industry makes this program a natural fit.
“The Association has a proven track record servicing the collision sector through I-CAR Canada, the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF), and our Collision Council. An accreditation program is a natural extension of these efforts,” says Champagne.
A statement from AIA Canada says the organization is collaborating with major stakeholders in the industry to roll out the program on schedule and that further details will be available in the coming months. For more information, please contact Andrew Shepherd, Senior Director Industry Programs for AIA Canada, at andrew.shepherd@aiacanada.com.
