New England Shops Celebrated as Collision Warriors at Spartan 300 Symposium
by Chasidy Rae Sisk
Spartans – Greek warriors renowned for their abilities over 2,500 years ago – were known to be the elite among soldiers of their day. They did not take up arms only when battle raged; they trained constantly in order to be prepared when the need for war arose. And their formidable courage allowed no trepidation even when they were vastly outnumbered.
Auto body shops often indicate a feeling of being “the only one,” but similar to the warriors of ancient Greece, the Collision Advice Legacy Group Spartan 300 serves “to bring together like-minded individuals to take a stand for safe and proper repairs and change the course of history.” Last month, Mike Anderson (Collision Advice) and his team celebrated the best of the best during the 2024 Spartan Symposium, recognizing shops for everything from Customer Convenience to Estimating Accuracy, Scanning Compliance and more.
Congratulations to AASP/MA member shop Akiki Auto Repair (Hyde Park, MA) and fellow New Englander North Haven Auto Body (North Haven, CT) on their awards!
Akiki Auto Repair received the coveted Spartan Rookie of the Year award. Presented by Milva Paton and Charel Lock of Collision Advice, the annual achievement honors a rookie Spartan member who wholeheartedly embraced everything the Spartans stand for.
“Earning the respect of our colleagues is an important component to our definition of a successful business,” Elias Akiki, owner of Akiki Auto Group, wrote on Facebook when he accepted the award. “Dad, this one is for you.”
This achievement is particularly meaningful to Akiki for several reasons. “First, it was awarded by our colleagues in the industry, and these particular shops are some of the best in the world,” he explained. “The third reason is about what makes them the best in the world – to become a member of the Spartans, there isn’t a high monetary fee; instead, there’s a strict requirement for honor and integrity. This group puts a lot of emphasis on doing the right thing, and it’s really special to receive an award from these specific colleagues.
“It feels great to be recognized for simply doing the right thing for our customers,” Akiki added. “It inspires us to continue doing those things and to best our previous ‘best.’ I believe that anyone who continues to do the right thing will also continue to be recognized for it. It really sets a new standard for us to shoot for.”
North Haven Auto Body was recognized with the award for Repairify Top Volume for Total Calibrations Performed, which was based on the highest number of calibrations performed with asTech per location and presented by Andy Noyes (asTech).
“We received an award for most diagnostic services performed,” noted North Haven Auto Body owner Robert McSherry. “We follow manufacturers’ repair procedures, and diagnostics play a big part in doing this correctly. We use asTech along with multiple factory scan tools we have on site. The scan tools assist in painting a far more complete picture in proper damage assessment. It’s another vital tool in the ever-growing toolbox we utilize on a daily basis. Today’s vehicles are computers on wheels, and they want to communicate what they discover.”
Learn more about Collision Advice’s Legacy Group Spartan 300 at collisionadvice.com/spartan-300.
Want more? Check out the July 2024 issue of New England Automotive Report!