Tri-Star ADAS Brings OEM-Compliant Calibrations to Tennessee

Car ADAS Solutions opened a new licensee location in Jackson, Tennessee. Tri-Star ADAS, founded by seasoned collision repair professional Andy Spence, held its open house on July 22 and provides OEM-compliant calibrations to the Jackson area with the support of Car ADAS Solutions.  

“Andy Spence is a high-integrity business partner,” said Greg Peeters, CEO of Car ADAS Solutions. “He and his team consistently go the extra mile to do things the right way — from rebuilding his calibration center from the ground up to meticulously following and documenting our OEM-centric procedures.” 

Spence, who began his collision repair career in 2000, was inspired to enter the ADAS space after becoming increasingly concerned about the quality of third-party mobile calibration services. 

“We had been scanning cars for a while, but as ADAS technology became more common, I saw mobile techs doing calibrations in my sloped parking lot,” Spence said. “At the end of the day, I’m liable for those repairs, and that didn’t sit well with me.” 

Eager to learn more, Spence attended the SEMA Show in Las Vegas in 2022 and explored various technology providers. His conversations with the Car ADAS Solutions team, particularly Peeters, led to a pivotal decision. Following a visit to the Car ADAS Solutions’  training center in Salt Lake City, Utah, Spence committed to launching a calibration center with their partnership.  

Spence recruited his son, Hayden, and former technician, Bryant, to form the core of the Tri-Star team. Together, the trio completed a week of hands-on training in Utah before beginning work out of a temporary space inside their collision center. 

Construction on the new 4,000-square-foot calibration facility wrapped up earlier this year, and Tri-Star is now operating in a clean, purpose-built environment. Currently, the center supports its sister facility, Mitchell’s Body Shop, while actively building relationships with other repairers across the region.

“We’ve already seen how many calibrations we were missing before,” Spence said. “Now we’re catching everything, and that has made us better across the board.” 

To help drive growth, Spence recently added Shawna to the team in a dual role, supporting ADAS operations and marketing. She attended Car ADAS Solutions training earlier this month to better communicate the value of proper calibration to local repairers and insurers.  

From site planning to ongoing troubleshooting, the Car ADAS Solutions team provided tools and knowledge every step of the way. 

“We’ve had to lean on them less and less over time, which is a good sign; it means we’re getting better. But it’s reassuring to know they’re always there when we need them,” Spence said. 

For Spence, this journey has been about more than building a business. His goal is to ensure vehicles are repaired to the highest safety standards.  

“There’s really only one way to fix a car, and that’s the way the manufacturer says to,” he stated. “Even a few millimeters off can mean the car is seeing the road incorrectly. Calibration is absolutely critical.”