Mitchell Holds First Annual Drive2Performance Collision Repair Conference

For Immediate Release:
October 5, 2006

Contact:
Kam Hashim
Boston Communications
617-619-9803
kam@prboston.com

Industry leaders gather in San Diego to address pressing business concerns of collision repair shops

San Diego, CA, October 5, 2006 — Mitchell International, a leading provider of information, workflow, and performance management solutions to the automotive insurance claims and collision repair industries, today announced that it held its first annual Drive2Performance collision repair conference on September 13–15 in San Diego, California. The two-day conference brought together leading industry professionals to explore current and emerging trends impacting collision repairers, and to discuss new strategies, practices, and tools by which shops can remain successful in an increasingly competitive market.

Performance-driven collision repair shops have a distinct advantage over shops operating under a “Business as usual” paradigm—an advantage that becomes even greater when they take advantage of opportunities to learn from industry leaders and experts. Mitchell’s Drive2Performance seminar provided attendees with an opportunity to hear from numerous experts in a variety of relevant fields, network with their peers and exchange insights in a stimulating environment. Speakers and topics at the conference included:

DRP 2006 & Beyond—An Insurer Perspective
By Terry Fortner, Assoc. VP Material Damage Technical Claims – Nationwide

Industry Trends: current factors impacting collision insurance and repair
By Eric Burr, VP Business Development – Manheim

Managing Your Business By the Numbers
By Jim Guthrie, Owner – Car Crafter’s Collision

Insurance Relationships
By George Avery, P&C Claims Estimatics – State Farm

Technology Trends & The Business Owner of the Future
By Steve Gardner, Territory Manager – Microsoft

Lifetime Leadership: Making Your Collision Repair Business an Extraordinary Place to Work
By Peter Stark, President – Peter Barron Stark & Assoc.

A highlight of the event was Mitchell’s Vice President of Database Development, Tom Fleming, discussing the impact of new automotive manufacturing technologies and techniques on collision repair facilities. He was joined by a host of other Mitchell speakers covering the application of advanced business analytics as a critical driver of performance improvements.

“The collision repair industry is undergoing a fairly major transformation from the Way-Things-Were to the Way-Things-Will-Be. To continue to thrive today and into the future, collision repair shops need to harness the power of data analysis to better understand how well or poorly their business is performing and to reveal new opportunities,” says Marc Brungger, Senior Vice President of Client Services at Mitchell. “By taking advantage of new information technologies and sophisticated performance management systems shops can avoid driving blindly into the future.”

Commenting on the conference, Bruce Cooley of Sherwin Williams Automotive Finishes, Inc., said, “I found the Mitchell Drive2Performance Conference a very valuable and rewarding experience. The Conference provided key insights into industry trends, market pressures, OEM technology, and optimizing shop management and insurance relationships. The meeting confirmed Mitchell's long-term commitment to the industry and provided great networking opportunities.”

Barry Dorn, Dorn's Body and Paint, Inc. and SCRS Board Director, added, "Mitchell's Drive2Performance conference was a highly valuable and collaborative event. The dynamic exchange of ideas between all attendees was invigorating and tackled the important strategic issues impacting collision repairers. The range of speakers– from industry leaders like Mitchell’s CEO, Jim Lindner, and Peter Stark– offered great insights and provided solutions to the problems that are top of mind for shops. As business owners we need real and practical solutions. Mitchell's Drive2Performance successfully provided ideas and solutions that we can put to use immediately. This promises to be the can't miss event for any collision repair shop interested in improving their business."

About Mitchell International
Mitchell International is a leading provider of information and workflow solutions to the automotive insurance claims industry, serving carriers, collision repair facilities, and other commercial participants in the physical damage and auto-related medical claims processes. Mitchell facilitates millions of electronic transactions between more than 16,000 business partners each month to enhance their productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction levels. For more information on Mitchell International, visit our website at www.mitchell.com.

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