More than a decade ago, before scanning and calibration became a standard practice across the collision industry, Jake Rodenroth was asked to leave body shops for reminding employees about auto manufacturers’ requirements for vehicle diagnostics as part of the repair.
“I was thrown out of shops for telling them to scan cars,” Rodenroth recalled. “They thought I was crazy.”
They would tell Rodenroth, “There are no lights on. Why would we scan it? That costs money and insurance companies aren't going to buy it. I'm not going to pay for that.”
He considers that the beginning of sharing his passion for repairing vehicles correctly.
Traveling across the country, Rodenroth showed example after example to shops and reiterated why it needed to be done. Over time, OEMs started creating position statements, which provided a deeper explanation for scanning and calibration.
Jake Rodenroth today.
“All of a sudden, scanning became an important part of what we do,” he said. “To feel like I played a little bit of a hand in that is awesome.”
Over his career, Rodenroth has held various leadership roles in sales, OEM partnerships and strategic initiatives in the collision industry. In January, he started a new chapter as the chief revenue officer at Quality Collision Group (QCG).
“I’m excited to join QCG at such an important time in their growth journey,” said Rodenroth. “QCG’s dedication to excellence and OEM repairs aligns perfectly with my expertise. I’m committed to supporting QCG’s continued growth and expanding its reach.”
“Having someone of Jake’s caliber, with experience leading growth at an OE level, is a game-changer for us,” said Jerod Guerin, CEO and founder of Quality Collision Group. “His expertise will help position us for long-term success.”
Rodenroth said the MSO includes an expanding network of OEM-focused collision repair facilities that prioritize safety, quality and customer satisfaction. Founded in 2020, the company has 88 facilities in 11 states.
He has found the MSO is unique. In addition to respecting the businesses they buy and keeping the branding in place, Rodenroth said QCG focuses on restoring vehicles to their pre-accident state using OEM parts and procedures to deliver quality repairs and a seamless process for customers.
Background
Growing up in the industry, Rodenroth said he never had a chance to be anything but a car guy.
“It’s 100% my father's fault,” he joked. “He was going to make sure I had my hands in it.”
From a young age, he worked on cars with his father, David. His first job was at O'Steen's Auto Body Inc. in Jacksonville, FL. The owners, Mark and Donna O’Steen, hired him at the family-run business in 2000.
“I remember my dad telling me, ‘They're not going to let you work on somebody's car. You're going to be washing cars, and you need to do what they tell you,’” said Rodenroth. “He said I had to lead with humility.”
The shop was transitioning from restoration to certified repair. Rodenroth told the O’Steens, “I don't know anything, but I can promise you I'll be here every day.”
Jake, left, and his father, David, with a Porsche 914.
During the 12 years he worked there, he learned all aspects of the business. In his last role as production manager, Rodenroth managed technicians, wrote vehicle repair plans and negotiated claims with insurers and customers.
When Rodenroth was hired at QCG, Mark and Donna called to congratulate him.
“That was a teary moment because they were very impactful people for me,” Rodenroth shared.
He joined the asTech team in 2015, which he said was just an idea on a napkin at the time. He
worked there for nearly six years, helping grow the organization and focusing on OEM and industry technical relations.
In 2021, he became the North American body repair program operations manager for Lucid Motors, responsible for managing the company’s body shop performance network.
Rodenroth said it was probably the hardest decision in his life to leave the Lucid team because he believes in the company’s mission.
“They have a very bright future in terms of new products and the things that are coming,” he said. “I was able to work with some of the most talented people I've ever been around from a lot of different verticals, and that was very rewarding.”
When you are around smart people like that, Rodenroth said, you soak up so much knowledge.
“The cool thing is that I still work with them because QCG owns some Lucid-certified shops and I value them as an OEM partner,” he added.
Since joining QCG, Rodenroth has hit the ground running. He is also moving his family to Texas after living in Florida for 41 years.
Repairing Vehicles Properly
Since the early days of walking into shops and telling them about the importance of scanning vehicles, Rodenroth said vehicle repairs and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have evolved.
However, he said the capture ratio is still minimal across the country.
“I think the amount of ADAS calibrations that are missed is still very high,” he shared. “That’s an area of opportunity for shops to do that.”
With electric vehicles (EVs) becoming more prevalent, Rodenroth said every car brand is working on them.
“The train is not stopping now that we’re moving to EVs,” noted Rodenroth. “Those vehicles will bring another level of complexity that a lot of shops are just not willing to invest in or equip for. That’s a little scary.”
He said collision repairers need to start looking at how they will fix these cars because they can be dangerous.
Advice to the Collision Repair Industry
Rodenroth said he has been blessed to have the opportunity to do a variety of tasks in his career and is grateful for the people who have supported him.
Jake Rodenroth’s first job was at O’Steen’s Auto Body, owned by Mark and Donna O’Steen, in Jacksonville, FL.
For those who are just starting in the industry, Rodenroth understands how it feels. That experience has taught him to look for young talent trying to find a place in the industry; he encourages them to reach out.
“It might be just one technician or service writer at a time,” said Rodenroth. “I'm always looking for those opportunities because somebody did it for me.”
Throughout his career, research has never failed him.
“To this day, whenever I'm going into a meeting that includes people I don't know, I do all the research ahead of time,” he said. “That's just one thing I've learned that has been very valuable to me.”
He said the QCG team was probably surprised during his interview when Rodenroth already knew their names and a lot about them.
“I think you have to go into meetings like that,” he said.
He advises approaching vehicles in a similar manner.
“It’s the same thing with cars, researching what you're doing and how you're going to do it and having a good plan,” he noted.
Looking ahead, Rodenroth hopes the industry will find value in training employees. One of his goals at QCG is to encourage shops to get OEM-certified to fix cars the right way and help support their communities.
“At QCG, we certify shops and make it mean something,” shared Rodenroth. “It’s not just a membership program; it should be something that is valued and shows merit.”
He also recommends not getting discouraged when days are hard.
“You’re going to have bad days, but hang in there, and opportunities will present themselves,” he said.
Overall, Rodenroth said you must love the industry.
“Like Jeff Peevy [vice president of industry relations at I-CAR and past CIC chair] said, ‘If you love the industry, it will love you back,’ and that’s 100% right,” said Rodenroth.
Stacey Phillips Ronak