Note: This article has been updated to include information from I-CAR.
John Melendez, owner of JDM Collision in suburban Chicago and longtime I-CAR Northwest Indiana Committee chair, recently submitted a formal letter on behalf of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Illinois (AASPI) urging the I-CAR Nominating Committee to expand single-shop operator representation on its Board of Directors.
“Independent shops are still the backbone of this industry, and their everyday realities deserve a voice at the board level,” Melendez told Autobody News in a June 30 interview. “We’re simply asking for a fair seat at the table so I-CAR can better understand the challenges one-location businesses face with staffing, certifications and rising training costs.”
At present, only one of the four seats designated for the collision repair industry on I-CAR’s 13-member board is held by a single-location operator — and that owner has since sold to a consolidator. The other three seats are slated to remain with MSOs after the upcoming election, where nominees from Caliber Collision and Crash Champions will appear on the ballot.
I-CAR Explains Current Board Makeup
Responding to concerns from state trade groups, such as AASPI, Arianna Sherlock, vice president of marketing at I-CAR, emphasized the not-for-profit’s board was “rebalanced” in 2019, specifically to ensure representation of collision repair perspectives.
She explained that within the collision repair segment, there are four seats:
• One for a single-location shop
• One for a small MSO (2-199 stores), which could be an independent owner
• One for a large MSO (200+ stores)
• One open seat that can be filled by a single-shop or multi-shop independent, or an MSO
“If qualified candidates step forward, more than one of those seats could simultaneously be filled by single-shop or independent owners,” she said.
Sherlock added that if a board member’s role changes because of a job change, acquisition or consolidation — as happened recently with the current single-location representative — the board carefully weighs whether the individual’s perspective still benefits I-CAR’s governance for the remainder of the term. "The seat will be filled by a single shop owner when it next comes up for election,” she said.
Texas Pushes for Transparency
AASPI’s letter was not the first salvo. Days earlier, Jill Tuggle, executive director of the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT), sent a sharply worded follow-up to I-CAR demanding to know who had actually read her initial concerns.
“Your reply is unsigned, carries only the I-CAR logo, and reads as a generic, canned message,” she wrote. Tuggle pressed I-CAR to clarify why association leaders — and by extension the thousands of independent shops they represent — are barred from board eligibility if they are not themselves collision repair business owners.
ABAT’s frustration mirrors that of the national Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), which says the pending bylaw amendments will “formalize the exclusion” of independent representation. According to its newsletter, SCRS has urged shops to submit alternate board nominees before the July 3 deadline and to comment on the proposed bylaws.
A Call for a Multi-State Coalition
Jill Tuggle.
Melendez believes state groups can do more than write letters. On the call, he floated the idea of a single-shop operators’ advisory council, similar to the internal MSO councils that already influence I-CAR programming.
“We need a structured forum where owners from Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, Florida — whoever is willing — can agree on one or two qualified candidates and present that slate directly to I-CAR,” he said.
He has already begun outreach to AASP-New Jersey and contacts in Florida to gauge interest. “If the associations collaborate instead of working in silos, it sends a powerful message: independents can unite around solutions, not just complaints,” Melendez added.
Why Representation Matters to Training
Beyond governance optics, state associations point to real-world training gaps. Independent shops often struggle to afford OEM certification programs that hinge on I-CAR coursework. Melendez pointed out that MSOs often have whole departments that keep techs enrolled and equipment updated, while single shops are doing it nights and weekends. Having their reality represented on the I-CAR board could influence course delivery, pricing models, even scholarship opportunities, he said.
SCRS data underscore the imbalance: roughly 24,500 single-location shops operate nationwide versus about 7,500 MSO outlets, yet MSO leaders are poised to hold every collision repair seat on I-CAR’s board.
Path Forward Before Vote
With I-CAR’s bylaw vote and board election less than a week away, state associations see three immediate actions:
1. Submit alternate nominees. Any regular I-CAR member may propose candidates until 11:59 p.m. CT July 3, according to SCRS.
2. Coordinate messaging. AASPI, ABAT and others are sharing draft talking points to avoid “stone-throwing” and keep the focus on constructive reform.
3. Plan a post-vote summit. Regardless of the election outcome, Melendez wants to convene a virtual roundtable, potentially hosted by a trade publication, to hash out a formal proposal for a single-shop advisory council.
“I-CAR has never lost sight of independents,” Melendez said, noting his own positive experience on advisory panels, “but the optics right now are bad. If we approach this professionally and together, I think the board will listen.”
Whether that happens hinges on how many independents mobilize this week, and how receptive I-CAR proves to a growing chorus from the states that keep Main Street collision repair alive.
Leona Scott