Did You Know? March 3rd, 2026

by | Mar 3, 2026 | Blogs

 

Don Swick 1961 – 2026
 

It is with a heavy heart but a wealth of cherished memories that I announce the passing of Don Swick, the quintessential prankster and beloved friend, who left us on February 27th at 5 PM in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Don was a larger-than-life character known for his quirky sense of humor, quick wit, and unparalleled charisma. He had a remarkable gift for getting away with things that would have landed most people in hot water, making him the life of any party and the source of countless stories. Those who were brave enough to engage him in a battle of wits quickly learned that Don was not only sharp but also hilariously unpredictable.

At the same time, he was an extremely competent manager for PPG paints for the last 25 years touching many lives and leaving a positive impression wherever he went.

Condolences to his immediate family, wife Rae, daughter Serena, sons Alec and Evan.

I am told the funeral will be on Thursday  March 12th at Lakeview Church here in Saskatoon. As more details come available I will share them.

 
I received an email from Brett MacNeil this week announcing some fantastic training opportunities:

I am working with the 3M Skills Development Center to plan a women’s only Front Office Collision Repair Course – info is here. The tentative dates of the course are Tuesday December 8 to Thursday December 10, 2026. Monday Dec 7 and Friday Dec 11 are travel days. I am requesting access to the 3M Suite for an all-inclusive Minnesota Wild NHL game during our stay and a tuition discount. Only 16 spots are available in the course so we should begin planning for this event soon.

I am also promoting a Canada focused Body Repair I-Car course – info here on November 17-19 for up to 24 technicians/customers.

In addition, 3M is donating a Scholarship Voucher that can be used for either of the above training events at our SAAR Spring Conference on March 14th.

Finally, to level the playing field Brett will be offering a 40% discount at the SAAR Spring Conference for both Canada Week November and December courses. To qualify shops will have to send an email to 3mcollisionrepairacademy@mmm.com as the registration links are not online as of yet.

Recommended Hotel
DoubleTree by Hilton St. Paul East
2201 Burns Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55119 USA
(651) 731-2220
3M Event Rate: $119 + taxes per night
 
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,

 
Brett MacNeil | Senior Account Executive – MB/SK/NWO
 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division

Industrial Spray Solutions & Marine
 3M Canada, 1840 Oxford St East | London ON N5V 3R6 | Canada
 Office: +1 800 265 1840 Ext.7428 | Mobile: +1 204 770 2727
 bmacneil@mmm.com
www.3MCollision.ca

 

Leadership: The Missing Link in Your Auto Body Shop

When the numbers aren’t where they should be, it’s rarely a tooling issue, paint issue or insurer issue but a leadership issue.
Erkan OZ leads a team of expert business advisors at DRIVE. With over 20 years of
professional and management consulting experience, he has helped his clients reach their business objectives and desired results.
 
In my opinion, Erkan OZ is one the most insightful writers in the collision management space. As I read his March 2nd article in BodyShop Business Magazine I saw myself as a young shop manager working hard to manage a successful shop but not really understanding what it takes to make the shift from working in the business to working on the business. Fortunately for me I had a number of mentors that helped me succeed in spite of myself. If you are an owner or a manager that finds yourself running around your shop playing savior to all the things that can go wrong in a busy collision shop you need to take a few minutes and read Erkan’s article Leadership: The Missing Link in Your Auto Body Shop.

Further to this, if any of you are interested in joining a working group to develop the leadership skills required to bring your shop to the next level, drop me an email to dir@s-a-a-r.com and if there is enough interest I can arrange a facilitator that can help each of you succeed,

Tom Bissonnette 
Executive Director
306-229-5254
tom@saskautorepairers.com
saskautorepairers.com