In Memoriam: CIC Co-founder Al Estorga

Estorga was widely recognized for his contributions to the field, particularly through his active involvement with CIC.

Al Estorga, a prominent figure in the collision repair industry, died Friday, September 6, a representative of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) confirmed with FenderBender.

He was widely recognized for his contributions to the collision repair industry, particularly through his active involvement with CIC, which he served as founding chairman.

Throughout his career, Estorga played a crucial role in advancing industry standards and fostering collaboration among professionals. 

As FenderBender reported last year on the Palm Springs conference — also the kickoff for CIC's 40th year — fellow past chairman Jeff Hendler had relayed a story about how it was that CIC began. Estorga had traveled quite a distance to attend a national conference and ask a question about an industry issue. But Estorga was rebuffed by the moderator that day and was told it was neither the time nor the place.

"And he kept saying," Hendler recalled, "we have to have a room where it's always the right time and the right place to discuss issues for the collision repair industry. That was the founding of CIC."

About the Author

Abdulla Gaafarelkhalifa

Abdulla Gaafarelkhalifa is a former associate editor at FenderBender and ABRN. He has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and has covered various beats beyond collision repair news such as politics, education, sports, and religion. His first car was a silver 2009 Chrysler Sebring, which he nicknamed the Enterprise because he’s a Star Trek fan. He now drives a 2014 Jeep Cherokee in order to tolerate Minnesota winters.

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