By Mike Davey
Vaughan, Ontario — September 20, 2013 — Members of the Fix Auto network from across Ontario and Atlantic Canada gathered recently at the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott in Vaughan, Ont. Held twice a year, the regional meetings are a chance for shop owners to connect with peers, network and share best practices.
“It’s always informative,†said Gus Stavropoulos of Fix Auto Yorkdale. “It’s a great opportunity to hear from our insurance partners, and see how they’re executing policies, and what they’re looking out for in shops they want to partner with.â€
A full slate of presentations began with opening remarks from Steve Leal, President of Fix Auto, and Daryll O’Keefe, General Manager of Fix Auto Ontario.
Leal began by thanking the network’s strategic partners for their support, and introduced O’Keefe. A member of the collision repair community on the supplier side for many years, O’Keefe joined Fix Auto in June 2013. During his remarks, O’Keefe expressed his excitement to be a part of the Fix Auto network, and outlined what he saw as some of the opportunities going forward.
Other presenters included Marie-France Laurin, National Marketing Director for Fix Auto, who gave two presentations, one on advertisement funds and the other on branding; Stu Klein, Strategic Partner Developer for Fix Auto, who spoke on the importance of training, and Tony DeSantis, Fix Auto’s Director of Sales, who provided network members with an update on the insurance industry.
While most of the speakers are part of the Fix Auto team, Wayne Loker of Aviva also presented, informing attendees of the latest updates.
A break for lunch also provided a chance for attendees to browse the trade show area, featuring exhibits from a number of Fix Auto’s supplier partners.
“That was one of the highlights of this year’s meeting for me, getting the chance to connect with some of our suppliers” said Kim Roberts of Fix Auto Barrie. “It’s also really nice to be able to connect with the other shops in our network, because we don’t see them much. It’s nice to meet with them and compare notes.”
After lunch, Steve Leal again took to the podium to provide an update on a number of difference projects Fix Auto is currently undertaking, including the change over to a single paint brand network wide, software updates and more.
For more information on Fix Auto, please visit fixauto.com.
