April 21, 2020—On Tuesday, Driven Brands announced its acquisition of Fix Auto USA and Auto Center Auto Body, Inc, according to an internal company statement, obtained by FenderBender and issued by Michael Macaluso, a top executive with Driven Brands who oversees its collision repair vertical.
Fix Auto USA and Auto Center Auto Body are headquartered in San Diego,Calif., and concentrated on the West Coast. Fix Auto USA (FUSA) has 150 franchise locations and ACAB has 10 company-owned locations. FUSA and ACAB will retain their current branding, and the acquisition excludes Fix Auto Canada locations, according to the statement.
Macaluso said that the acquisition leaves Driven Brands further fortified in the realm of paint, collision, and glass repair and "enhances Driven Brands' size and scale. ... In a time of consolidation for the collision repair space, this strategic move also solidifies our position as an industry leader for our insurance, OEM, and vendor partners."
Last year, Driven Brands acquired the franchise locations of ABRA.
Macaluso will now oversee Fix Auto USA as it joins Driven Brands' paint, collision and glass segment. The acquisition also brings longtime collision repair executives like Paul Gange, Erick Bickett and Shelly Bickett into the Driven Brands fold. The Bicketts founded Fix Auto USA in 1997, and Gange helmed that franchise chain in recent years.
Gange will join Driven Brands as the President of FUSA, managing the franchise locations. The Bicketts will join as operating partners for the company-owned ACAB locations.
"This partnership with Fix Auto USA has been in process since 2019, and we are thrilled to move forward with our commitment to the Fix team despite the current business climate," Macaluso said in the statement. "We look forward to seeing the added strength that this acquisition will bring to our overall portfolio."
FenderBender will continue to update the story accordingly.
