Mitchell Releases Latest Edition of Industry Trends Report

For Immediate Release:
May, 2008

Contact:
Public Relations for Mitchell International:
Kamarolzaman Hashim
Boston Communications
+1.617.292.7316
www.prboston.com

Feature discusses how current trends will change
the collision repair industry and provides insight
to help shops and insurers prepare for transitions

San Diego, CA – May 1, 2008 – Mitchell International, a leading provider of information, workflow, and performance management solutions to the collision claims and repair industries, today released the second quarter 2008 edition of its Industry Trends Report (ITR)-the company's quarterly publication that highlights industry-related trends, news items and statistics.

This edition's Quarterly Feature, "5 Trends That Will Change Our Industry," by Mitchell's Vice President of Industry Relations, Greg Horn, provides a candid look at how current movements in the collision repair industry such as the transition to waterborne paints, shift towards light-weight construction materials, and advances in vehicle safety equipment, among several others, will affect the future of the industry. The feature also focuses on better understanding performance through the use of data, which is increasingly used by collision repair industries and insurance claims organizations to improve business operations.

"Right now, the collision repair industry is undergoing some of the most significant changes since the introduction of unibody vehicle production,"
said Greg Horn. "The key trends discussed in-depth in the latest Mitchell ITR will significantly change the time, training and tools costs of repairers and carriers, compelling the industry to alter production schedules and risk assessments in order to profitably grow their businesses."

Added Greg Horn, "The collision repair industry can adjust and ease into these changes by staying informed about proper repair techniques and procedures, in addition to becoming educated about how these changes will impact every part of the claims process."

Other valuable points of interest in the current issue of Mitchell's ITR
include:

• The average appraisal value, as calculated by combining data from all first and third party repairable vehicle appraisals uploaded through Mitchell systems in Q1-2008, was $2,474-$51 less than the previous year's Q1-2007 appraisal average of $2,525. Applying the prescribed development factor of 3%, it produces an anticipated average appraisal value of $2,539.
• During Q1-2008, Paint and Materials made up nearly 9.78% of an average Mitchell appraisal value, representing a 0.46 point increase over Q1-2007.

Complete content is available in the latest Industry Trends Report, which may be downloaded in PDF format by visiting www.mitchell.com. First published in April 2001, Mitchell's Trends Report has grown in both content and circulation, now reaching more than 23,000 collision and casualty industry professionals.

About Mitchell International, Inc.
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 25,000 business partners each month to enhance their productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction levels. For more information on Mitchell International, visit the Web site at www.mitchell.com.

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