Show Notes
Welcome back to The Collision Vision, driven by Autobody News. I'm your host, Cole Strandberg. Today's guest is Brian von Tress, founder and CEO of Collision Pros, and someone whose career has given him a unique view of nearly every stage of the collision repair business. Brian started in a body shop at just 15 years old, eventually becoming a technician, earning his MBA, and moving into leadership roles with both regional MSOs and Caliber during its early growth years. Then, at 53, with a successful career already behind him, Brian decided to bet on himself and become an entrepreneur. Today, Collision Pros has grown into a significant independent MSO, and we'll talk about the leap that started it, the challenges of scaling, building great leaders and culture, and what it takes for an independent operator to win in an increasingly consolidated industry. Let's get into it. Connect with Brian: Email Website
More from The Collision Vision
Welcome back to The Collision Vision, driven by Autobody News. I'm your host, Cole Strandberg. Today's guest is Logan Martin of Mr. Dent Collision Repair, a family business whose evolution mirrors a lot of what's happening across collision repair today. Mr. Dent has grown from PDR into full collision repair and multiple locations, while adding capabilities like calibration and mechanical work along the way. So today, we're going to use Logan's story to look forward. We'll talk about increasingly complex vehicles, OEM influence, certifications, the changing workforce, consolidation, and what all of it means for independent collision operators. Because this industry is changing quickly — and the businesses that thrive over the next decade probably won't look exactly like the ones that thrived over the last. Let's get into it. Connect with Logan:
Welcome back to The Collision Vision, driven by Autobody News. I'm your host, Cole Strandberg. Today's episode is a bit of a reality check in the best way possible. We're talking about what it really means to run a disciplined, high-performing collision business. My guest is Doug Higgins, founder of Collision Advisory and former CEO of TAG Auto Group. Doug brings a rare combination to this industry — he spent over a decade at Kroger as a divisional CFO overseeing a $2 billion business, then transitioned into collision repair where he served as both CFO and CEO of a multi-location group. In other words, he's seen how great businesses are run at scale, and he's also sat in the exact seat many of you are in today. In this conversation, we're breaking down financial discipline in collision repair: what most shops think they know versus what the numbers actually say, where profitability is quietly leaking, how to think about capital allocation, and what it really takes to scale the right way. If you're serious about building a better business, not just a busier one, this episode is for you. Let's get into it. Connect with Doug: LinkedIn https://collisionadvisory.com/
Welcome back to The Collision Vision, driven by Autobody News. I'm your host, Cole Strandberg.
Welcome back to The Collision Vision, driven by Autobody News. I'm your host, Cole Strandberg. On a recent episode of the podcast, I sat down with Juan Carlos Gasga Perez, owner of Premier Auto Body and the technician and educator behind Auto Body Strong. We talked about his journey, the evolution of the modern collision technician, and the role that better training, better tools, and better processes play in performing increasingly complex repairs the right way. But there was another part of that conversation that really stood out: the way Juan is helping make the craft of collision repair visible. The response to our content with Juan was incredible, and it raises a bigger question for an industry that spends a lot of time talking about the technician shortage: Are we doing enough to make collision repair a career people actually aspire to? Joining me today to dig into that are Erin Solis and Sheryl Driggers. We'll talk about what stood out from the Juan conversation, how technicians are learning today, and what shops can do to create better pathways for their people to grow. We'll also get into recruiting, retention, mentorship, social media, and how we can do a better job celebrating the skill and craftsmanship that already exists throughout this industry. Because maybe solving the technician shortage isn't only about finding more people. Maybe it starts with building careers people don't want to leave — and showing the next generation why they should want to be here in the first place. Let's get into it. Connect with Erin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-killcoyne-solis-534470105 https://squareonesystems.com/ Connect with Sheryl: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryldriggers/
Welcome back to The Collision Vision, driven by Autobody News. I'm your host, Cole Strandberg.