Calgary, Alberta—Consolidated Collision Services (CCS) hosted the second leg of its annual conference last week in Calgary, Alberta. Fifty CCS network members, vendors and suppliers enjoyed some late summer weather, stellar educational programming and networking.
Attendees got into the spirit of the On Target-themed event by swinging some clubs at the Phil Mickelson Launch Pad before the President’s Dinner at Charbar. Dinner was AAA Alberta steak with all the fixings, accompanied by an open bar featuring personalized cocktails for the CCS executive team.
“The evening was filled with lively conversations in preparation for the next day’s On Target conference,” said Charles Aubry, general manager of CCS.
After a hefty Western breakfast, incoming Consolidated Dealers’ Co-Operative President and CEO Mike Beier delivered a welcome address. He detailed the company’s decision to host three conference events in Montreal, Calgary and Niagara Falls as well as recent leadership transitions as Jason Arnott and Charles Aubry take on new roles within the company. He then introduced the CCS executive team, including Sandy Liguori, president of CCS; Tom Langton, president and CEO of Consolidated Dealers’ Co-Operative; Marc Lambert, director of operations, East of Canada and Chris Chinn, network operations manager.
Jason Arnott, director of operations, West of Canada, then took the mic to provide an update on CCS’ operations in Western Canada. He covered personnel changes, duties and growth initiatives and emphasized the addition of seven new CCS members in the Western region. Arnott, alongside Aubry, led the On-Target presentation, explaining the importance of focusing on one key target at a time to achieve optimal results, while referencing real-life examples of successful strategies.
Following a brief coffee break, Ryan Taylor of BodyShopBooster energized the room with an eye-opening presentation on the evolving role of AI in collision centres. Taylor shared his journey through the industry and introduced exciting developments in AI tools designed to streamline operations, such as estimate writing and appraisals, helping shops work on this business rather than in it.
After a three-course lunch at Charcut, Christina Christopher from Aviva Insurance spoke on scorecards and explained how using the Progi calendar can help collision centres attract more work. She also provided updates on the hail situation in Alberta and explained how repairable jobs are being distributed to DRP network facilities.
Next, Steve Trapp of LEAP delivered a highly detailed session on how to navigate P&L reports for increased profitability. He highlighted common areas where shops lose money, such as inefficient electrical consumption and equipment maintenance, offering insights on how to stay on top of these issues to prevent long-term damage to a business.
The conference concluded with final remarks and takeaways, followed by a wrap-up networking session at the Le Germain Hotel bar, where attendees celebrated the successful event.
CCS will host its Ontario annual conference on October 16 and 17 in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
