Untitled DocumentPROSSER, Wash. — The Oregon Collision Repair Specialists (OCRS), a newly formed statewide collision repair association, has enrolled as the newest affiliate association of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). OCRS has been in existence since December 2007, born out of the desire of Oregon repairers to form a group exclusively devoted to their concerns.
"Body shops face many complex challenges right now, and we felt it was time to sharpen our focus on the concerns unique to our industry," states OCRS executive director Ed Dahm. "OCRS will strive to address repairer issues at the local, state and national levels."
OCRS says that a key point of emphasis for the association will be helping members work fairly and effectively with insurers, without sacrificing the health of their own collision businesses. In addition, OCRS will emphasize the importance of training and maintain a lobbying presence at the state level.
Though still in the process of putting together its bylaws, marketing plan and other organizational fundamentals, OCRS founding members understand the importance of having a national presence, and to tap into that presence they are turning to SCRS. "It makes more business sense than ever to align with a national association," says Dahm, who has served on the SCRS board and chaired several Collision Industry Conference (CIC) committees. "You can't isolate your shop and work in a vacuum anymore; you need to see what's coming down the road so you can prepare and make the right business decisions when the time comes. Affiliating with SCRS and its collected expertise will put our members in position to do exactly that."
"OCRS brings a nice blend of fresh perspectives and proven experience to the table," says SCRS Vice Chairman Barry Dorn. "The collision repair industry of the Pacific Northwest has a tradition of being proactive and progressive in its approach to issues. We'll undoubtedly learn a lot from each other."
SCRS Chairman Farzam Afshar also looks forward to working with the newest affiliate. "I take it as a tremendous vote of confidence that Ed Dahm, a contributing SCRS board member for years, saw fit to recommend us as part of his group's strategic plan," he says. "Our relationship with OCRS will give us an in-the-trenches view of the collision repair industry in Oregon, and provide important regional feedback we can use to help their members and the industry at large. This kind of mutually beneficial relationship proves in practice that 'Working Together Is the Most Important Work We Do'."
Through its direct members and 34 affiliate associations, SCRS is comprised of 6,000 collision repair businesses and 58,500 specialized professionals who work with consumers and insurance companies to repair collision-damaged vehicles. Additional information about SCRS including other news releases is available at the SCRS web site: www.scrs.com. You can e-mail SCRS at the following address: [email protected].
