ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a national damaged repair company based in Minneapolis, announced today that Cathy Embry and Eileen Daube, Account Executives for ABRA-Georgia, earned the National Standardized Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Training Program certification. This program certifies individuals as child passenger safety technicians and instructors.

By achieving this certification, Embry and Daube can now train and conduct child safety seat checks where parents and caregivers receive education and hands-on assistance with the proper use of child restraint systems and safety belts.

“As a company, ABRA is very involved in various aspects of vehicle, driver and passenger safety”, stated Embry. “I knew that I wanted to get involved in a safety issue on some level, and I chose the CPS program after learning about it from some of my major insurance partners.”

CPS is part of the Partners for Child Passenger Safety program. It is the first academic-corporate partnership devoted to the safety of children in motor vehicles. The program’s methodology is unique, combining in-depth telephone interviews, on-site crash investigations, and computer crash simulations with interdisciplinary analysis and interpretation. Among other accomplishments, their materials and research has helped many states pass booster seat laws.

“I am proud to be a team member of ABRA… a company that understands the importance of giving back to our communities”, stated Daube. “And I feel privileged to be associated with this safety program, and look forward to all the training I can give on correct child restraint and safety belt usage.”

ABRA Auto Body & Glass is a national damaged vehicle repair company specializing in collision repair, paintless dent removal, and auto glass replacement and repair. Started with one repair center in 1984, they have grown to ninety-one facilities in eleven states. Their plans for national growth over the next several years include acquiring repair centers and awarding franchises.

ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a Minneapolis-based damaged vehicle repair company, announced today the opening of its newest repair center in Faribault, MN, the franchise was awarded to the Harry Brown Automotive Group in Faribault.

Mark Wahlin, Vice President of Franchise Development for ABRA, commented on ABRA’s decision to award a franchise to the Brown family: “We are excited about our relationship with Mike Brown and his family. He is a fantastic business owner, and we are pleased that he saw the opportunities that are available through ABRA’s franchise program.”

The repair center, located at 1807 Grant Street South, consists of 13,000 square feet, and is equipped with a MegaRack 360 frame rack for unibody and full frames, a Shark computerized measuring system, and a Unicure downdraft paint booth with oven.

When asked of his decision to open an ABRA franchise, Mike Brown commented, “Our family’s operations focus on quality, customer service, and integrity – values that we share with ABRA. Their 20-plus-year record of success proves that they are a company that can be relied on for years to come, and will be there to provide the training and support they are known for.”

ABRA Auto Body & Glass is a national damaged vehicle repair company specializing in collision repair, paintless dent removal, and auto glass repair and replacement. Started with one repair center in 1984, they have grown to ninety-one facilities in eleven states. Their plans for accelerated national growth over the next several years include acquiring existing facilities and building new locations.

On Monday, September 10, Minneapolis-based ABRA Auto Body & Glass sponsored its twelfth annual Marathon Cup to benefit Courage Center. Twenty-six golfers participated in the event, with each one collecting pledges for playing 100 holes of golf in one day. ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a national damaged vehicle repair company, is the corporate sponsor of the Marathon Cup, which is part of a yearly multi-faceted Celebration of Courage event that includes three golf tournaments. The ABRA Marathon Cup raised nearly $100,000 during this year’s event, bringing the ten-year total to over $750,000. “The ABRA Marathon Cup is a wonderful opportunity for ABRA to be involved with the Celebration of Courage”, said Rollie Benjamin, President and CEO of ABRA Auto Body & Glass. “We are pleased to sponsor the Marathon, and, with that sponsorship, raise money in support of Courage Center.”

Courage Center is a rehabilitation and resource center for people with physical disabilities, brain injuries, speech or vision impairments or hearing loss. It offers comprehensive, lifelong services to people of all ages, from infants to seniors. The overall objectives of the Celebration of Courage are to celebrate the vocational and entrepreneurial achievements of persons with disabilities, and to accentuate the positive aspect of employing them.

“It’s terrific to have ABRA on board as sponsor of the Marathon Cup,” stated Jennifer Woodford, Development Officer of Courage Center. “ABRA has been a great friend to Courage Center through the years, and because of their support we are able to offer programs and services for individuals with physical disabilities and sensory impairments.”

ABRA Auto Body & Glass is a national damaged vehicle repair company specializing in collision repair, paintless dent removal, and auto glass repair and replacement. Started with one repair center in 1984, they have grown to ninety-one facilities in eleven states. Their plans for accelerated national growth over the next several years include acquiring existing facilities and building new locations.

ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a Minneapolis-based damaged vehicle repair company, announced the future opening of their ninety-second repair center. Located in Faribault, MN, the franchise was awarded to the Harry Brown Automotive Group in Faribault.

Mark Wahlin, Vice President of Franchising for ABRA, commented on ABRA’s decision to award this franchise to Harry Brown’s, “We are very impressed with the successful dealerships that the Brown family operates. Their focus on quality and integrity mirror ABRA’s values. They have already started staffing their repair center with highly qualified leadership, so we are confident this location will perform up to the high standards expected of all ABRA centers.”

The repair center, which will be located at 1807 Grant Street South, will consist of 13,000 square feet, and will be equipped with a MegaRack 360 frame rack for unibody and full frame, a Shark computerized measuring system, and a Unicure downdraft paint booth with oven.

When asked of his decision to open an ABRA franchise, Mike Brown commented, “We are aware of ABRA’s track record, and are very impressed with their commitment to superior service and excellent craftsmanship. The procedures, training, and marketing support provided by their corporate staff will allow us to deliver industry-leading levels of efficiency and quality.”

ABRA Auto Body & Glass announced today that Peterson Santos, Vice President of ABRA-Georgia, has been elected to chair the Atlanta I-CAR Committee. He was unanimously elected at the July 17 meeting, which was attended by insurance representatives, industry vendors, repair center owners/operators, and distribution reps.

Santos joined ABRA in 2001 as a Parts Manager, and was promoted to a Production Manager in 2002. In 2003, he assumed the position of General Manager for ABRA-Lawrenceville, followed by transfers as General Manager in 2004 to ABRA-Suwanee and to ABRA-Lilburn in 2005. In February of 2006, Santos was promoted to District Manager for ABRA-Georgia, and was again promoted in December of 2006 to the position of Vice President of ABRA-Georgia.

“I’m looking forward to chairing Atlanta’s I-CAR committee”, stated Santos, “and want to focus as much as I can on industry training. I feel one of the biggest challenges we have before us is rebuilding our technical base that has been steadily eroding over the years. We need to concentrate on this area of staffing for our industry to be successful in the future.”

Santos and his wife Michelle live in Buford, GA with their son Giovanni and daughter Izabella.

ABRA Auto Body & Glass is a national damaged vehicle repair company specializing in collision repair, paintless dent removal, and auto glass repair and replacement. Started with one repair center in 1984, they have grown to ninety-one facilities in twelve states. Their plans for accelerated national growth over the next several years include acquiring existing facilities and building new locations.

I-CAR, founded in 1979, is an international not-for-profit training organization dedicated to improving the quality, safety and efficiency of auto collision repair for the ultimate benefit of the consumer.