DCR Systems announced it is the first corporate sponsor of the Matrix Trade Institute’s Collision Program as a Foundation Level Partner.
“Foundation Level Partners saw our vision early on, believe in supporting technician education and helped shape the Matrix Trade Institute,” said Dustin Peugeot, CEO and co-founder of the Matrix Trade Institute in Ohio.
The institute offers upskill industry efficiency training boot camps for employers that aim to help technicians reach the next level by improving their skills and learning efficiency techniques to help them become more productive and grow. The boot camps are paid for by employers.
DCR Systems, also based in Ohio, develops on-site accident repair facilities for auto dealers seeking to outsource this function as an additional fixed operation.
Peugeot said the goal at Matrix is to align with forward-thinking operations like DCR Systems that have the vision to see a better way forward and the courage and commitment to deliver for their employees.
“It’s bold and disruptive in all the right ways, and that’s Michael Giarrizzo and the DCR team from top to bottom,” he said.
Michael Giarrizzo, president and CEO of DCR Systems, said the partnership was a natural fit geographically, and due to the school’s area of focus.
“Matrix Trade Institute is a forward-thinking school that isn’t entrenched in the traditional ways of repairing vehicles,” he said. “We really felt the synergy.”
“There are a lot of trade schools and programs closing down due to lack of funding,” said Cheryl Boswell, chief financial officer and managing partner at DCR Systems. “These types of training facilities are important to help groom the next generation of technicians.”
As a corporate sponsor, DCR Systems helps shape the school’s curriculum from the standpoint of looking to the future and focusing on what will be important to repairers. The company also provides information about its repair processes and supplies tooling, such as the DCR Systems Inventory Table. Built by DCR Systems and Symach, the two-layer table allows shops the ability to organize the hardware pieces associated with a repair so vehicles can be reassembled without interruption.
Giarrizzo said the partnership provides the opportunity to look for great students to bring into the company. “Whether that’s full-time, part-time, or an internship, it’s a great way to work with those kids who have a desire to grow and move forward,” he said.
“It also allows us to get in front of the students and talk about what this industry is about and what the opportunities are,” added Boswell.
Over the last two years, Giarrizzo and Dave Martin, director of operations at DCR Systems, have spent time at the institute talking to students about the importance and benefits of the industry. Students also have the opportunity to tour the DCR Systems facility. DCR Systems has hired several Matrix students and sends their employees to Matrix’s Efficiency Bootcamps in order to accelerate their careers with the company.
“This industry loses over half of its new techs within one year of when they start,” said Peugeot. “Retention is everything. Companies like DCR recognize that growing their own techs is the answer, and Matrix is proud to play a key role in helping DCR provide a better, more executable career path with real training that their employees are passionate about and thankful for.”
