Feb. 1, 2013—The newly formed Alabama Automotive Repair Industry Society of Excellence (ALARISE) has joined the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) as an affiliate association.

ALARISE, which launched in 2012, was created to advance industry improvement, professionalism and education for both collision repair shops and consumers. The association exposes its members to effective business principles and processes, and plans to develop an apprenticeship program to address technician shortages in Alabama.

"This is a monumental moment in the formation of this new association in Alabama," said Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the SCRS. "The collision repairers of Alabama and their customers will be well-served by this energetic, forward-thinking group, and I think they will receive tremendous value from the networking opportunities they will have with our other affiliates. Their vision and creativity in addressing the issues that affect our constituents make them a welcome addition to SCRS."

The SCRS now represents 6,000 collision repair businesses and 58,500 industry professionals through its direct members and 41 affiliate associations.