The typical auto body shop used to be a small, independent business that dealt directly with car owners or the local claims adjuster at an owner’s insurance company. Today, however, more shops are part of a chain or join a network of shops. One reason is that insurers prefer to direct work to a few companies rather than many small shops. Another is that a larger organization can support shops with functions such as human resource management. In fact, the two advantages build on each other: Joining a successful network brings in more business, which requires more employees, which requires more sophisticated HR practices. Milwaukee-based 1Collision Network has seized on these opportunities by emphasizing HRM along with marketing to consumers and insurance companies.
