SCHEDULED SPEAKERS

8:30 AM – Safety Inspection Panel
Mike Anderson, Owner of Collision Advice
A trailblazer in the collision industry, Mike Anderson opens the conference with a dynamic panel on safety inspections, exploring what shops must do to ensure every repaired vehicle is truly road-ready.

10:30 AM – Dual Presentations
Sean Preston, Owner of Coverall Law
The Shop Freedom Formula: Mastering Insurance Relations and Customer Advocacy for Full Payment and Lasting Trust:
The collision repair industry continues to face mounting pressure from insurers, leaving many shop owners navigating tough conversations around payment, policy, and repair decisions. While there’s no quick fix, there are proven frameworks that help shops position themselves more effectively in these negotiations. In this session, we’ll introduce practical tools from The Shop Freedom Formula, a system developed by Coverall Law to support independent shops in strengthening their communication with insurers, clarifying customer expectations, and protecting the shop’s right to fair compensation. Participants will explore a series of repeatable strategies to approach insurer interactions with more confidence, support customer trust through clear messaging, and minimize underpayment risk using available legal and financial tools. This session is designed to offer a thoughtful, real-world perspective—not theory—on what’s working for shops that want to lead with quality and stay in control of their operations.

Rick Selover, National Account Manager for Garmat.
Let’s Keep it Kleen: The True Costs of Contamination
In this educational workshop, 40+ year industry veteran Rick Selover helps us uncover the 3 “Root Sources” of refinish work contamination that slows shop production and provides a rock-solid plan to minimize those risks. Spotlighting how to identify amp; destroy the opportunities for surface contaminants to force reworking your paint finishes before you pull the trigger. We pull back the curtain on the 4 true costs of rework and how your “influencer” can help reduce that financial impact… including that ultra-critical retention cost. Lastly, we discuss the importance and real value of implementing a preventative maintenance program for your paint department equipment! Impactful Take-aways Understanding the Root Sources of Paint Contamination Identifying & Minimizing Potential Problems BEFORE you Pull the Trigger `The 4 Costs of Contamination & Impact on Retention The True Value & Benefits of Preventative Maintenance

12:30 PM – Dual Presentations
Mark Olson, Owner of Veco Experts
Getting Paid – Not a Normal Conversation – Yet – an Effective One
Getting what you need to properly repair a vehicle has become difficult – and is only going to get worse. The old methods of getting paid are not working and you cannot work harder at doing things that are not working.  A fresh approach – one of agreement and catering to what matters most.
How to get along with an adjuster – (so you can get paid)
How to understand the adjuster and customer using age demographics and personality styles
Fixing the car right – does the customer really care? Does the customer know what right is?
Using Diminished value as a method to give the customer more money to pay for the repair.
Using the appraisal clause for repairs – and also customer service on a total loss.
Times have become frustrating – I suggest they are simply changing – and the only constant is change.
Staying ahead of the changes and thriving is the name of the game. Doing things that others are not will keep things moving in the right direction for you and your shop.
Be prepared that you will have a to-do list – of simple effective items that will only drop to your bottom line – without a lot of additional effort or time.

Matt Di Francesco (High Lift Financial) & Laura Gay (Consolidation Coach)
Presentation: Building the Value of Your Collision Shop to Exit on Your Terms
1. Every Shop Owner Will Exit Eventually Whether due to retirement, disability, death, divorce, dispute, or bankruptcy—an exit is inevitable. Yet many owners get stuck in the “revolving 5-year plan” of procrastination.
2. Understanding Business Value
It’s more than just revenue and profit.
True value includes:
Reputation
Operational efficiency
Growth potential
Risk minimization
3. Becoming an “Incidental Owner”
Transition from being essential (the shop depends on you) to incidental (the shop runs independently of you). This shift enhances business value and transferability.
4. Key Areas to Build Value
Owner-Based Planning Includes continuity instructions, buy-sell agreements, estate and tax planning, and key person protection.
Cash Flow & Profitability
Increase margins through service optimization, vendor negotiations, and expense management.
Key Employee Incentive Planning
Offer meaningful retention plans such as bonuses, equity-based compensation, or profit-sharing.
Tax Minimization
Leverage credits, retirement plans, depreciation strategies, and optimal corporate structures.
Technology & Systems
Improve workflows using estimating software, CRM, DVI tools, and advanced repair equipment.
Successor Development
Identify and train future leaders with mentorship, hands-on experience, and personal development.
Risk Management
Use proper legal agreements, cybersecurity measures, and P&C insurance to mitigate threats.
Action Plan:
Work with a multidisciplinary team:
Financial planner
CPA
Business attorney
Insurance and M&A professionals
Valuation and industry specialists
Family counselor
Conclusion:
Building value isn’t just about preparing for a sale—it’s about creating a resilient business that can thrive
with or without you, while supporting your long-term personal and financial goals.

2:00 PM – Dual Presentations
Dave Luehr, Owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions
Don’t Be Swept Away!
2025 is another year of massive industry change. You can either be swept away by it or REV UP Your Business! Dave Luehr will share the secrets of the world’s best body shops while helping you build a strategy to take advantage of the incredible opportunities coming your way.This workshop is ideal for independent and dealer body shop leaders who are tired of the grind and looking for freedom and prosperity.
What you’ll learn:
How to stand out from the competition and dominate your market.
How to build consistency in your systems that deliver on customer promises.
How to build production systems that increase productivity by at least 20% without
adding people.
How to build a roadmap to success and freedom for you and your people..

Mary Mahoney, Vice President, Global Replacement and Leisure Division, Enterprise Mobility
Driving the Future: The Evolution and Impact of the Collision Engineering Career Alliance
Discover how the Collision Engineering Career Alliance began as a response to workforce needs and is shaping the future of collision repair education.
Explore the power of collaboration between industry partners, educational institutions, and repair facilities.
Learn how the program is bridging the talent gap and preparing the next generation of skilled collision
repair professionals.
Hear real-world outcomes and success stories from students, schools, and shop partners.

Dialogue, Culture, and Cutting-Edge Calibration
8:00 AM – Open Mic Discussion
A candid, unscripted session with an all-star panel:
Mike Anderson, Dave Luehr, and Mark Olson
Moderated by Kyle Motzkus, this interactive conversation will address attendee questions, pressing challenges, and big ideas for the future.

10:00 AM – Dual Presentations
Mike Jones, President of Discover Leadership Training
Developing a Smokin’ Hottt Culture
A strong business culture is one that has a positive environment with excitement and enthusiasm; where all team members are special and respected as individuals and are challenged to go beyond the norms and create new possibilities. How does your business measure up to this standard? Whatever your current state of affairs at your business is, we all occupy the largest room in the house and that is the room for improvement. Mike’s training session will give you concrete methods to develop a Smokin’ Hottt Culture by showing you what’s in your blind spot, which is where all new possibilities for growth exist. He will challenge your thinking, not by talking about concepts, rather by having you experience first-hand how the choices you have been making in your business may not truly be focused on the outcome

Greg Peeters, CEO of Car ADAS
ADAS Calibrations – Getting it Right!
Are you still identifying the need for calibration only when a dash light comes on?
Still relying on the “Mobile Guy” to validate and calibrate your customer’s safety systems out back?
If you can clear the codes and shut off the dash light, do you skip calibration altogether?
If so, you may have missed the wave of Innovators and Early Adopters—but it’s not too late.
This session will get you on the right path by exploring:
What it takes to launch your own calibration business
Key pitfalls to avoid
The long-term benefits of owning the process
How to ensure your vendors are performing calibrations to true OEM standards