Volkswagen of America has become a corporate member of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS).
The two organizations first formed a working relationship at the OEM Collision Repair Roundtable, a group of vehicle manufacturers that meet on a quarterly basis to discuss issues related to their industry, and to which SCRS has a standing invitation to present. The alliance between the two organizations took on another dimension when Volkswagen revealed its plans to initiate a collision repair certification program for dealership and independent body shops.
"They approached us and asked if we would be willing to have individual repairers from the SCRS board offer input on the program's development," explains SCRS Chairman Barry Dorn, "Their desire was that we would serve as a sounding board to give Volkswagen repair facility perspective to help fine tune their initiative, and identify specific characteristics that went into shop qualification for the certification."
SCRS members provided direct feedback on proposed specifications for tools, training, technology, parts usage, and facility requirements. They participated in the review and critique of specific program materials, as well.
"If your desire is to create standards that define the top-level collision repair facilities that will be working on your vehicles, you have to involve industry experts," states Volkswagen of America Collision Program Manager Matthew McCauley. "The members of SCRS certainly fit that description. They helped keep us on track before the program's rollout, and we intend to solicit their expertise as our vehicles evolve and repair requirements change. Corporate membership best positions us to achieve that goal, and allows us to show our appreciation for the organization's contributions to date and support for the work they undertake for the industry."
"SCRS is pleased we were able to offer the national perspective and credibility a well-recognized OEM like Volkswagen was looking for in their program launch," says SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg. "The ultimate winner here is our mutual customer, the vehicle owner, who will benefit from consistent safe, quality repairs. It is always a great opportunity when industry organizations such as SCRS and Volkswagen support each other through their pool of resources. We wish them continued success as they move forward in advancing the industry."
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells its vehicles through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or www.media.vw.com.
Through its direct members and 39 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.
