The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) announced that the BASF Corporation has stepped up as the first official sponsor of SCRS' 2011 Repairer Driven Education (RDE) series. It is the second year in a row that BASF has been first to commit support to RDE, which will take place in the afternoons on each day of the SEMA Show in Las Vegas this November.
Support of the program makes it possible for SCRS to provide the comprehensive curriculum in the RDE series, which created significant buzz as a highlight of last year's SEMA Show. The resources sponsors provide serve as a foundation for the program, and demonstrate the commitment participating companies have in regard to industry education.
"For over a decade, we have been increasing our support for collision repair educational and improvement programs," explained BASF Manager of OEM and Industry Relations Joe Skurka, whose company is committing to RDE at the Master's level. "We want our customers to thrive, not just survive, and helping provide the tools to make this happen is one of our core strategies. We see both SCRS and the Repairer Driven Education series as viable opportunities to support this strategy."
Giving the industry the knowledge it needs to adapt to its ever-changing marketplace is not only important, but a key to the ongoing health of the profession. "There's absolutely no guarantee that the approach, procedures, business models and products that worked successfully last year will work in the future without understanding the changes taking place in the marketplace," noted SCRS Chairman Aaron Clark. "A strong industry is an industry that adapts to its surroundings, and a fundamental benefit of RDE classes is preparing attendees to succeed in the future with content that focuses on a wide variety of business issues."
Though only in its second year, RDE's identity is closely linked to the SEMA Show through a partnership developed between SCRS and the show. The synergy between the education and the overall show experience creates additional excitement and opportunity for attendees; resulting in a growing momentum for the series. It also creates an all-around win for repairers in attendance, who will return from the show recharged and inspired with ideas that can be used directly to benefit growth in their business.
"SEMA is a good venue for the collision repair industry," added Skurka. "A large number of collision repairers are in this business because cars are their hobby, and you can see amazing examples of craftsmanship there. SEMA is an attractive environment for automotive enthusiasts; a marriage of fun and business that we think can help attract young, quality people to the industry."
In addition to BASF, the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP) has committed to sponsoring RDE at the Associates' level. This marks the first time an association outside of SCRS has come forward to support the program.
"I am excited that AASP is able to participate in, and support, the RDE programming at SEMA this year," said AASP President Rick Starbard. "After experiencing last year's RDE first hand, I was impressed with the caliber of the content provided. It was great to be able to experience educational seminars that are truly repairer driven, and our association is proud to be a part of that experience in 2011."
While there is no question that RDE is off to an auspicious start, and looks poised to build on the success of last year, the program's outlook is dependent on the widespread industry backing.
"It is gratifying to enjoy both continued support from prominent companies like BASF, as well as new support from industry fixtures like AASP," said SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg. "These organizations share our vision in the value that RDE brings to the industry and the SEMA Show, and they have committed to helping to do what it takes to ensure the series' ongoing vitality. The support of SCRS and the industry they show through their involvement in our educational initiatives is much appreciated. We can't thank them enough."
