FIVE ALIVE
CSN Collision Centres signed five new locations in April. The additions come as CSN looks to solidify itself as the preferred option for independent and banner repairers who are interested in joining a network to secure their future in the increasingly competitive collision industry, says the network. CSN Collision centres added in April 2021 include CSN Auto Shoppe in Camrose, Alta., owned by Lift Auto Group; CSN Drayton Valley in Drayton Valley, Alta., owned and managed by Megan & Ken Willows; CSN Pete’s in Peterborough, Ont., owned by Kevin Carlaw; CSN Huntsville in Huntsville, Ont., owned by Kevin Carter; and CSN Retouche Rapide in Saint Eustache, Que., owned and managed by Sylvain Laforme.
BOY OH BOYD
According to financial results from the Boyd Group, the parent company of several auto glass and collision chains in North America, the company had a bit of a rough start financially to 2021. With sales decreasing by 9.9 percent to US$421.6 million from US$467.8 million in the same period of 2020. Boyd’s U.S. operations saw a 6.5 percent decline in revenues in the first quarter of 2021, compared to 2020. While the company’s Canadian chains saw a 34 percent decrease in revenue. Boyd said Canada took an even larger hit than the chains in the U.S, as its economic reopening has been much slower and since many more health restrictions are in place, said the company.
EYES ON ADAS
AirPro Diagnostics and Spanesi Americas have announced an exclusive agreement that will see AirPro’s suite of diagnostic and ADAS calibration services provided to current and prospective customers of Spanesi Americas, as part of the company’s Spanesi 360 offering. The AirPro scan tool and system are said to meet rigorous vehicle manufacturer requirements by having OEM licensed software and scan‐tool hardware resident or “local” to the vehicle. ORION, AirPro’s cloud‐based diagnostic management system, is the hub by which all services are delivered within the company’s “10 Minute Response Pledge.”
GREYHOUND’S FINAL RACE
The long-haul public transportation sector is going to operate a tad differently moving forward as Greyhound ceases Canadian operations after nearly 100 years of service. “We deeply regret the impact this has on our staff and our customers, as well as the communities we have had the privilege of serving for many years,” said Stuart Kendrick, the senior vice president of Greyhound Canada. According to the company’s press release, this closure will have no impact on the American Greyhound Lines Inc., and in fact, some cross-border services will remain available after border closures are lifted.
WÜRTH EVERY MINUTE
In a landmark accomplishment for any Canadian business in the automotive industry, Würth Canada is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021, having moved operations from Germany to Montreal in the early ‘70s. Known for supplying fasteners and other consumables to the automotive aftermarket, Würth was founded in Germany in 1945 by Adolf Würth. Adolf ’s son Reinhold would be the one to take the company overseas to Montreal in 1971, and then south to Mississauga 15 years later in 1986. Today, Würth Canada CEO Ali Moghaddam speaks to the value of family presence at the company that he has noticed since he first took on the job in October of 2020. “I’ve been involved in the industrial distribution industry since 2003,” said Moghaddam. “One thing I was attracted by was Würth’s strong foundation as a family business and its people–people who are dedicated to the business, the company, and its customers. It’s a company with a nice balance between a corporate institution and a family business.”
