Finding Common Ground

April 1, 2018

Insurer relations, focusing on solutions and FenderBender turns 20 (soon).

OK, let’s start with our cover this month; there are two things you likely picked up on.

The first is our main feature this month, “The Chaotic Middle," which focuses on the state of shop-insurer relations in the industry and what some operators have done (and continue to do) to find ways to make their operations as efficient and profitable as possible. It’s a topic that we’ve approached a number of times in a number of different ways—maybe just not as directly and front-and-center as Associate Editor Travis Bean takes to it in this piece.

Certainly, insurer relations is a hot-button issue in this industry, and one that elicits instant and sharp feedback each time it’s approached. We get that, and we don’t take to this subject matter lightly nor with the goal of creating sensationalized reactions.

My takeaway—as I hope yours is—is the solutions-focused mindset that serves this industry’s top operators so well. These are people that see problems and face them head-on with creative problem-solving rather than excuses. They don’t see any option other than driving forward. It not only makes for a great story, but it also sets the example for others, regardless of the industry, to follow.

And that’s the type of information we at FenderBender want to provide you each and every month. Our goal as an organization is to be an essential resource to you in growing your business. We want to be a source of those solutions that help you take on the largest obstacles presented to your operation.

We’ve been at this now for nearly 20 years—which brings up that other element of the cover you might’ve noticed. FenderBender was founded as a regional periodical, debuting in April 1999. So, with this April issue, we’ve begun a countdown to our 20th anniversary. With that, you’ll notice a handful of items that pop up through the year. I won’t give it all away now, but you will find a recurring piece in the magazine each month that highlights some of the industry’s biggest influencers and their take on the last 20 years and the years ahead.

Approaching this anniversary has offered us a chance to reflect on our own mission as a publication, and how we can better serve you, our readers, each day. Let us know how we’re doing, and what we can do better. This is your publication, and we want to help you find the solutions you need.

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