Success and growth in the collision industry at CCIF Moncton
The Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) took place in Moncton, New Brunswick, on June 8 and 9, 2023 at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Beauséjour. The second CCIF conference of the year once again brought together collision industry professionals for networking and insightful sessions covering various topics and issues of interest to the sector.
Human resources at the center of your business’ success
The event started with an afternoon workshop—Recruiting and interviewing your future employees—presented by Axalta Coating’s account manager, Bill Matthew. The interactive session examined the current state of the collision industry’s workforce and different ways for businesses to attract, recruit, and interview prospective employees.
The workshop was followed by the well anticipated networking reception, which gave attendees a chance to reconnect and discuss the upcoming conference activities.
Profitability and growth in the collision industry
Friday’s full day of presentations began with opening remarks from Jeff Labanovich, Chair of the CCIF Steering Committee, followed by the first session of the day—Innovations in attracting and retaining untapped talent in Nova Scotia—by Judy Dickson, program manager of the Automotive Sector Council of Nova Scotia (ASC).
Judy discussed some of ASC’s key initiatives such as the Collision Repair Prepper, the ASC Marketplace, Interactive Demonstrative Electric Vehicle (iDEV) and Labour Market Information, highlighting the importance of interconnected initiatives and industry partnerships, and showing how these can be leveraged to respond to industry needs and challenges.
Paul Prochilo, CEO of Simplicity Car Care then took to the stage to speak aboutdecarbonization efforts in the industry and how it can be made more profitable for businesses.
A brief networking break was followed by a session hosted by Hanna Beydoun, Manager, Policy of Insurance Bureau of Canada, guiding attendees through the how and why of rising costs in auto insurance claims and reviewing initiatives that can help mitigate these increases. The presentation focused on addressing the changing nature of vehicle insurance to help the collision sector shape strategies for the future.
This was followed by Brandon Roy’s, I-CAR Canada instructor, presentation—You miss by an inch, you miss by a mile—discussing the past, present and future of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) technology and how collision shops can plan ahead to deal with potential challenges and problems.
Future and success within the collision industry
After lunch, Jean-François Champagne, President of the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada), walked attendees through labour, vehicle technology and profitability trends that are shaping the future of the collision sector and how they play a role in the greater auto care sector landscape from an association perspective.
The last session of the day was presented by Sam Mercanti, President of Mercanti Management Inc. His presentation, inspired by his book—RISEN From The Shop Floor, Lessons From An Entrepreneur—centered around sharing his personal story and professional experience in the collision industry with the audience. Sam is a Canadian visionary who, we come to learn, went on to build a company, a brand, and a national franchising phenomenon in the collision industry.
Looking ahead to Calgary
CCIF Moncton came to a close with Jeff Labanovich thanking speakers and attendees and inviting everyone to attend the next CCIF event being held in Calgary on October 5-6, 2023.
Registration for CCIF Calgary is open.