Industry achievements celebrated at Red Carpet Awards Night

The Collision Industry Red Carpet Awards Night was held on Tuesday at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, an annual gathering to honor standout individuals and groups in the collision repair industry.

National Lifetime Achievement Award — Darrell Amberson, Quality Collision Group

“The work and insight that this person has contributed to the industry over the last 40 years has touched and improved the lives of everyone in it,” said Amber Alley, SCRS’s immediate past chair. “His passion for the industry is undeniable. He is soft-spoken and thoughtful, but don’t let that fool you. He is very capable of holding his ground, and on issues like following repair procedures, he doesn’t back down. He is well-respected, not only among his peers but also by associations, insurers, and OEMs.”

She added that his list of accomplishments and industry participation goes on and on.

“My career has been ever so blessed to be able to do the things that I’ve been able to do, and I really feel like I’ve just been doing what I was supposed to be doing,” Amberson said. “This industry means a lot to me. I’m very proud and honored to say that we are all family, and you are my family, and I really appreciate that so very much.”

March Taylor Kina’ole Award — Tim Ronak

The Hawaiian phrase means “without flaw or defect.” The award is given in honor of the late March Taylor, a master technician, the owner of Auto Body Hawaii, and an industry leader. Taylor spearheaded the idea of creating a centralized service for repairers to submit inquiries that challenge data provided by estimating systems based on real-world repairs.

“This is about honoring March’s spirit, honoring his legacy, honoring the code that he taught us all about — doing the right thing, the right way, at the right time, and for the right reasons,” Schulenburg said. “That’s really what Kina’ole is; it’s not just a phrase, it’s a way of living. It’s hard for me to think about the fact that March has been gone for almost 20 years now and played such an important part and role in my life and others around the room.”

He told Ronak, “I want you to know that you embody Kina’ole the best, and you are always doing the right thing for the right reasons. We see you and we appreciate you. Through your insight, your mentorship, and your generosity with your time and your unwavering commitment to help others grow — we see March in you.”

Ronak gratefully accepted the award, holding back tears, and at first was at a loss for words.

“March was a very disarming person and extremely knowledgeable, but very inclusive,” he said. “For me, it really is kind of humbling that somebody that made such a profound difference for me and for the direction that I have about giving back and trying to do what I can for those that I interact with, to have the memory of him attached to me is probably one of the biggest honors.”

Collision Industry Conference (CIC) Volunteer of the Year — Chuck Olsen

CIC Administrator Jordan Hendler said Olsen has “gone above and beyond” for many years as a volunteer.

Dan Risley, current CIC chair, added, “What he brought to the table as co-chair is a relentless commitment to delivering material to the CIC body on a routine basis, religiously. The other thing he did is he brought subject matter experts that we did not have relationships with… that have expertise and knowledge we need.”

When accepting the award, Olsen said he was honored to receive it and is thankful to be a part of the industry.

“It has been an amazing experience to be able to try to collaborate and bring our efforts together and make sure that we’re pulling the rope in the same direction as an industry,” he said. “We’re all here to fix cars, do the right thing at the right time.”

Body Shop Business Single-Shop Executive of the Year — Andrew Batenhorst, Pacific BMW Collision Center body shop manager

“In the time that I’ve known him and watched him invest himself into the industry, he stood out as special,” said Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). “His willingness to step up, his ability to clearly and thoughtfully articulate complex ideas, and the genuine care he brings to representing his business, our association, our members, and himself are remarkable. He continues to grow and develop as a leader and places priority on refining his skills, learning from others, leading with purpose, and using his talents to elevate those around him. The collision repair industry is incredibly fortunate to have his voice, leadership, and heart driving our collective mission forward.”

Batenhorst said he was speechless, humbly stating he didn’t understand why he won the award.

“So many people had no issue with taking me under their wing to teach me,” he said. “I’ve made so many mistakes throughout my career, and I always took those mistakes as an opportunity to learn… I’m very humbled to be up here to accept this, so thank you all.”

Fender Bender/ABRN Best Repair Planner/Estimator Award — Will Barkley, K&M Collision

The award is given to professionals who emphasize safe repairs, pay close attention to detail, are committed to quality work, and have the know-how to plan intensive repairs. Dozens of nominations were received, and six finalists were chosen.

The finalists completed an estimate exercise of a vehicle located at a salvage pool. The goal was to write a repair plan with standardized labor and parts rates, referencing OEM repair guidelines and not-included operations with an emphasis on critical safety-related inspection items. The top two finalists nearly tied, with Barkley coming out on top.

According to Michael Bradshaw, vice president of K&M Collision, Barkley has “a meticulous approach to planning grounded in OEM directives and best practices, which serves as a benchmark for the entire shop.”

Barkley said he was thankful for the opportunity and appreciated the award.

Fender Bender Award — Jon Sommers, Winner Premier Collision Center shop director

Now in its 18th year, the award recognizes the top-notch owners and operators who are hardworking and dedicated to professionalism in the collision repair industry.

Sommers is credited with righting the ship, reducing employee turnover, increasing customer satisfaction, and improving profitability at Winner Premier.

“What an honor,” Sommers said. “It is an ever-changing industry. It definitely is a challenge. It’s a challenge we’re all fighting, whether you’re part of a dealership group or an independent, or an MSO; it’s the same fight. It’s the same fight with the same adjusters, same challenges, same new technology, so it is very cool to be a part of this and to see a team come together across the country. I’m very honored to be part of this.”

SCRS Affiliate Association Award — Washington Independent Collision Repair Association (WICRA)

WICRA was the ninth association to win the award.

In the last 12 months, SCRS said WICRA achieved several milestones that highlight why it deserves the award. One of the major wins was strengthening consumer rights through the passage of a new state law that requires a mandatory appraisal provision in all insurance policies sold in Washington State that cover physical damage.

WICRA President Justin Lewis said he wasn’t expecting the award.

“This is amazing,” he said. “Thank you very much. It’s been a long, arduous battle. We’ve had a lot of highs and a lot of lows.”

Past president Jeff Butler added, “All the years of filing bills and doing stuff on my own weren’t helpful… but when I built an association, I got people behind me that made a huge difference. The huge contribution into moving that needle was this guy right here [Lewis]… It feels good to make a difference and stand up for consumers in our industry.”

Other Red Carpet Awards given on Tuesday were:

• • Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) Fueling the Future Award — Auto Collision Experience (ACE) Volunteers
  • Body Shop Business Multi-Shop Executive of the Year — Josh Fuller, Fuller Collision Group
  • CIECA Outstanding Contribution Awards — Abhijeet Gulanti, Mitchell International; Don Porter, United Recyclers Group (URG); and Roy Schnepper, Automotive Service Association (ASA)
  • Electronic Commerce Company of the Year  — IAA
  • Jeff Silver I-CAR Platinum Professional Award — April Lausch, Faulkner Collision Center of Lancaster
  • Russ Verona I-CAR Gold Class Shop Award — Faulkner Collision Center of Lancaster
  • National Auto Body Council (NABC) Changing and Saving Lives Awards — John Hamdan and Anne Kolea, co-owners of Dynasty Auto Body in Paterson, New Jersey, and Bob Waldron, owner of CARSTAR Waldron in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Collision Industry Hall of Eagles also received two new inductees — Chris Evans and the late Charles Edward “Chad” Sulkala. A collision industry professional is inducted each year whose long-term efforts have reached beyond their jobs and self-interest to make significant contributions towards the betterment of the industry.

Images

Featured image credit: VioletaStoimenova/iStock

Darrell Amberson, National Lifetime Achievement Award

Tim Ronak and family, March Taylor Kina’ole Award

Chuck Olsen, CIC Volunteer of the Year

Andrew Batenhorst, Body Shop Business Single-Shop Executive of the Year 

Will Barkley, Fender Bender/ABRN Best Repair Planner/Estimator Award 

Jon Sommers, Fender Bender Award

Justin Lewis and Jeff Butler of WICRA, SCRS Affiliate Association Award

All award images taken by Teresa Moss/Repairer Driven News