Following meetings with heavy-duty industry executives, educators, and consultants, the HD Repair Forum announces its 2018-2019 Advisory Board. This year’s Advisory Board members include:
Ray Chatfield, Truck Collision Services, Owner
Howard Elsenpeter, Hoglund Body & Equipment, Body Shop Manager
Dean Hancock, Bob Johnson’s Truck & Body, Owner
Fred Honore, Gerber Collision Services, Market Manager Fleet & RV
Monte Lewis, Monte’s Repair Shop, Inc., Owner
Wally Melia, SelecTransportation Resources, Corporate Body Shop Manager
Mark Polzin, Budget Truck & Auto, President
Ed Rietman, K&R Truck Sales, Inc., Owner
Rodney Rowland, Lakeside International Trucks, Body Shop Manager
Jason Shesky, Truck Zone, President
Chris Sterwerf, Fairfield Auto & Truck Service, CFO/COO
James Svaasand, Penske, Vice President-Collision Repair Ops & Development
Brian Vesley, Valtek Inc., President
Gigi Walker, Walker’s Auto Body, Owner
Steve Wolfe, Diversified Body & Paint, President
The HD Repair Forum is the only program dedicated exclusively to the heavy-duty collision repair industry and is open to everyone involved in the repair of heavy-duty/commercial vehicles in class 5-8. This includes shop owners, shop managers, fleet managers, dealer repair shops, commercial vehicle manufacturers, insurance providers, and service, equipment, and technology companies.
This year’s advisory board is set to deliver an event that serv
es as extremely valuable to the heavy-duty collision repair industry. Their experience in heavy-duty collision repair builds a conference agenda filled with relevant and timely content.
The first advisory board meeting, set for later this week, will establish the most relevant topics facing this industry. Topics up for discussion include: continued increase of OEM repair support; industry economics and trends; commercial vehicle technology advancements and repair impacts, standard operating procedures, operational best practices, and more.
The 2-day event, being held on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 2-3, 2019, brings together all segments of the heavy-duty commercial vehicle repair industry in one place for collaborative discussions, education, future preparation, and high-level networking opportunities. The 2019 HD Repair Forum takes place in Fort Worth, Texas, at the Hilton Fort Worth.
“The inaugural HD Repair Forum of 2018 was an inspiration. Attendees, speakers, industry influencers, and sponsors alike, were relieved to see the heavy-duty collision repair industry come together and begin to create a mold for higher standards in safe and efficient heavy-duty repairs.” States Jennie Lenk, Communications Manager of the HD Repair Forum.
“Progress for the heavy-duty collision industry is imperative. The automotive collision industry has been experiencing this development in communication and collaboration for more than a decade, and the results in higher repair standards and more efficient processes has been very promising. It is at meetings like the HD Repair Forum where this progress will gain momentum, relationships to make development possible get established, and communication to the industry gets distributed.”