Darryl Simmons took a chance—and we reap the rewards
BY TOM BISSONNETTE
I can remember the first time I heard about Collision Repair magazine (CRM).
I was at a CCIF meeting in Toronto, and I ended up at the meeting after the meeting (in the hotel lounge) sitting at a table with Darryl Simmons and Remy Rousseau. I was immediately drawn to these guys; Darryl was animated and talkative while Remy was a bit more reserved, but very engaging.
They talked about their recent venture with a new collision industry magazine with such enthusiasm that I felt compelled to listen. At that time there was another national publication called Bodyshop Magazine that, in my opinion, had a stranglehold on the magazine market. What has transpired over the last 20 years should be a lesson to all companies that reach the zenith of their industry, never underestimate an enthusiastic up and comer. Over the past 20 years I think it is safe to say that CRM has become the dominant player nationally in the collision industry publication world due to their commitment to showcase industry professionals as regular columnists. Who better to tell the industry’s story than those who have the smell of paint thinner and body filler on them?
Over the years I have relied on Darryl to give me his interpretation of what is good and bad with the industry, he is a keen observer and a rational thinker, so I value his input on many industry issues.
My favorite part of each issue is how CRM showcases high performing shops across Canada. I like the way they take care to get professional photographs done and I especially enjoy reading the stories of each shops journey. Thanks Darryl and gang at CRM for being a terrific support to the collision industry, onward and upward!
