Students Participate in WI Auto Show Competition Young auto mechanics took part in a competition at the Milwaukee International Auto Show. The high school students worked on cars at the annual event, backed by the Auto Dealers Association and Milwaukee Area Technical College, to encourage young people to consider careers as auto technicians. “Tech education in high schools in general has gone away,” said MATC’s Steve Herro. “Not just because they’re not interested in tech, but ‘cause it’s very expensive to have an automotive program in a high school. So what we’re doing at MATC is trying to provide opportunities for high school students to get involved.” Two of the six-member student teams will win a chance to go to New York and represent Wisconsin in a national auto technology competition. We thank WDJT News for reprint permission.
CARSTAR Precision Collision Auto Body Opens in MN CARSTAR, North America’s largest multi-store network of independently owned collision repair facilities, announced the opening of CARSTAR Precision Collision Auto Body, located at 13928 233rd St., Cold Spring, MN. Gary Spychala, Erik Gebault and Mark Seidenstricker are the owners of CARSTAR Precision Collision Auto Body. The team has been in the industry for more than 15 years, with Gary and Erik meeting through St. Cloud Technical and Community College, then Mark years later through other industry ties. With a common interest in high facility standards and operations, this like-minded ownership group prioritizes repair quality. “We wanted to stay current with the demands and trends of our industry, which can be overwhelming if you do not have the proper support in place,” said Seidenstricker, owner, CARSTAR Precision Collision Auto Body. “CARSTAR brings in new opportunities for shop education, provides a network of other facilities
to work with and helps us grow our overall business for our customers who entrust us with their vehicles.”
20% of collision repair centers that have completed the rigorous training requirements to earn this certification. “Having franchise partners who understand the importance of certifications and operational processes is what makes our network of premier facilities what it is,” said Dean Fisher, president of CARSTAR. “We are proud to welcome facilities like CARSTAR Precision Collision Auto Body, as they value their service levels and repair standards, which is a foundCARSTAR Precision Collision Auto Body owners, left to right: ing value for our organiErik Gebault, Gary Spychala and Mark Seidenstricker zation.” CREDIT: CARSTAR Looking to give back CARSTAR Precision Collision to the community and industry they Auto Body is an 8,000-square foot love, the team at CARSTAR Prefacility with the industry’s latest cision Collision Auto Body looks equipment to provide premier re- forward to continuing their sponsorships of nearby high schools and appairs to all makes and models. As an I-CAR Gold certified prenticeship programs to help raise facility, CARSTAR Precision Colli- awareness about the opportunities sion Auto Body is a part of the small within collision repair.
Fire Destroys Auto Body Shop in Warren, OH by Nadine Grimley, WKBN News
A fire destroyed an auto body shop Feb. 18 in Warren, OH, and for some people, the building brings back special memories. It started a little before 3 a.m. at the L&L All in One shop in the 1700 block of Niles Road. When firefighters got there, flames were everywhere. Firefighters said it was tough trying to get them under control. Tuesday afternoon, restoration crews were busy trying to secure the building. “I usually come by here almost every day and you know, this was the first place I bought my car from,” said James Campbell, of Warren. The building that used to house D & J Auto is now a total loss. “I never knew I would see this place burnt like that,” Campbell said. The estimated damage to the property and its contents is around $500,000. Even though the fire department first got the call around 2:45 a.m., they believe it had been burning for quite some time.
“That fire had a significant head start and the firefighters did their best to bring it under control but it was just too far gone at that point,” said Warren Fire Chief Ken Nussle. Firefighters used about 100,000 gallons of water to attack the flames. The fire was so overpowering that it took down trestles and a back wall. The cause of the fire is un known at this point, but it remains under investigation by Warren fire investigators and the state fire marshal’s office. “Any time you have fires early in the morning like that, a lot of times it does tend to be suspicious. Given the fact the fire gained some headway also and there wasn’t a call for quite some time, but that also could be because of the time of day,” Nussle said. We thank WKBN News for reprint permission.
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