Did You Know? May 12th, 2026
We Have Found a New Executive Director!
I’m pleased to share that Jake Korolis will be stepping into the position. Jake is a sharp and capable young professional with a strong background in business development, problem‑solving, and organizational leadership—skills that will serve SAAR and its members well moving forward.
We are currently in the final stages of completing Jake’s employment contract, and if all goes well, he is expected to begin May 19th.
While I will be taking a step back from the role, I will work closely with Jake to help transition relationships with our industry stakeholders. I also plan to attend the SAAR Golf Tournament on June 24th. For those of you who know me and would like to stay in touch, please know that I will always be open to helping where I can.
In the meantime, please join me in making Jake feel welcome. I am confident he will do an excellent job representing and supporting every SAAR member.
How to Strengthen Your Brand in Three Easy Steps
In a recent memo, Williams outlined three simple but powerful ways to strengthen your brand.
1. Find out what people already want—then give it to them.
Stop trying to convince customers that they should want what you’re selling.
2. Speak to everyone, everywhere.
Talk about widely felt needs, deeply held beliefs, and personal values—rather than trying to reach only “the right people.”
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The media doesn’t make the message work—the message makes the media work.
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Businesses don’t fail because they reach the wrong people; they fail because they say the wrong things.
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Anyone with friends, relatives, coworkers, or neighbours is an influencer.
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Brands like Ferrari, Rolex, and Harley‑Davidson are admired by millions who will never own their products—yet that broad admiration fuels their strength.
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People don’t bond with corporations; they bond with personalities.
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Brands with personalities feel as real to us as beloved fictional characters.
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Ask yourself: Does my brand have a distinctive personality? If not, why not?
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People want friends, honesty, encouragement, access, and to know that they matter.
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Buy mass media. Quit fishing with a hook. Use a net instead.
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Don’t be boring. Find some courage. Be a distinctively memorable personality.
Are We Running Body Shops—or
Industrial Production Systems?
During the session, we’ll explore:
- What an “industrial” body shop looks like in practice
- Why adding capacity often fails to improve output
- How small layout and workflow changes can unlock major gains
- What shop owners should rethink before their next expansion or renovation
Registration is free and can be had at EventCamp. This is a session you won’t want to miss if you’re thinking about the future of your operation.
Sometimes the biggest improvements come not from working harder—but from rethinking how the work flows.
Osvaldo Bergaglio is the owner of a highly respected company that designs modern body shops and helps repair facilities understand workflow within their existing operations. Osvaldo will be joining us for a Lunch & Learn on Wednesday, May 27th
The collision repair industry is changing faster than at any point in its history.
Vehicles are more complex. Repairs require greater precision and planning. Skilled technicians are harder to find. Cycle time pressures are relentless. And yet—many body shops are still organized much the same way they were decades ago.
This tension sits at the heart of The Industrial Body Shop Manifesto, a presentation that challenges a long‑held assumption in our industry:
More space, more equipment, and more technicians do not automatically create more productivity.
The Real Problem Isn’t Effort—it’s Flow
A key insight from the Manifesto is the difference between touch time and cycle time.
A vehicle may require only 16–20 hours of actual repair work, yet remain in the shop for six to eight days. Most of that time, the vehicle isn’t being repaired—it’s waiting.
Waiting for parts.
Waiting for space.
Waiting for the next department.
The presentation makes a compelling case that technicians are rarely the bottleneck. Workflow design is.
From Craft Shop to Industrial Model
Traditionally, body shops evolved as craft workshops, where technicians owned large portions of the repair process. That model worked when repairs were simpler and volumes were lower.
Today, the Industrial Body Shop concept reframes the facility as a coordinated production system, where:
- Work flows continuously instead of sitting in queues
- Repair stages are balanced instead of stacked
- Throughput increases without adding space or equipment
Why This Matters Now
Shops that respond to growth by simply adding:
- more booths
- more bays
- more square footage
As repair complexity increases and technician shortages persist, tomorrow’s most successful shops will be defined not by what they own—but by how intelligently their operations are designed.
Executive Director
306-229-5254
tom@saskautorepairers.com
saskautorepairers.com