Sarah-Jane Lattin, a mother of two, a full-time student and member of the Montana Air National Guard, now has a vehicle to get to work and school — thanks to a local business participating in a national program in which damaged cars are overhauled and donated to families that need them.

At no cost, the owners of Procraft CARSTAR, 917 Central Ave., turned over the keys of a 2001 Honda CRV to Lattin at a ceremony Monday. The downtown auto body repair business overhauled the heavily damage vehicle, which now looks brand new.

San Diego, CA – January 17, 2012 – Mitchell, a leading provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty claims and Collision Repair industries, today announced the winner of Mitchell’s Get-a-Life Dream Vacation contest held in 2011. Mitchell’s RepairCenter™ team presented Gabrielle Kephart of Wicklunds CARSTAR and Glass in Liberty, MO with a check totaling $5,000 in late December 2011, for an all expenses paid trip to Maui, Hawaii. RepairCenter is the industry’s first Shop Workspace™ solution that manages the repair, the customer, and the business, all from a single personalized workspace, helping body shops manage their businesses so well that they have time to “get a life.”

OVERLAND PARK, KS (January 20, 2012)  -- Cold weather can create some of the harshest driving conditions of the year. And, months between October and February top the list for accidents, vehicle damage and injuries.

OVERLAND PARK, KS (December 09, 2011) – New spouse? Changed jobs? Moved to a new house? Bought a car off of lease? Then it’s time for an auto insurance check-up. All of these factors, along with age, gender, driving record, employment and zip codes, play a factor in your insurance costs, so an annual update is important.

Pat’s CARSTAR Auto Body of Plover, WI., for the fourth year hosted a National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Recycled Rides Ride Away Day on Monday, Nov. 21, in which it donated a vehicle to a local family, Heather and Chad Lawrence and their two children.

Cars 4 Christmas kicked off the holiday season on Nov. 24^th by helping a local family from Witchita, KS. with the gift of transportation.

For the past 65 years, Liss CARSTAR has been serving the residents of Lake County, Indiana, with reliable, quality auto body repair.  To celebrate their 65^th anniversary and three generations of excellence, Liss CARSTAR held an open house for the public.

During the recent CARSTAR annual conference in Seattle, three CARSTAR facilities were named “CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Expert of the Year” by Esurance, the direct-to-consumer personal auto insurance company.

Two St. Louis-area families who are serving their country in the Air Force and Navy received special gifts from the region’s 11 CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts facilities Thursday at the Troy, IL, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post.

Donation sends two children to Disney World & one child on a West Coast Train Ride

The Missouri Mustangs are letting everyone know that they are here to help wash cars at Wicklund's CARSTAR Collision.  Today is a great day to visit the great team at Wicklund's and remember that every driver will receive a goodie bag with items from local merchants such as a ticket for admission to Carolyn's Country Cousins! Thank you to the Missouri Mustangs as we press on to break our own Guinness World Record for the most cars washed in an 8 hour period.

The new year brings car shopping, and this year's new car lineup brings a slew of new safety features.

Ventura CARSTAR of Orchard Park, N.Y. was one of several CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts locations that participated in National Military Month.

The store held a donation drive to collect toiletries, snacks and used cell phones to be sent to 25 local soldiers who are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also held a barbecue to cover all of the shipping costs.

Ken’s CARSTAR Body Works held a car wash for National Military Month on November 20. A local radio station provided music and held a live remote. In addition to that, customers were treated with hot dogs, pens, pencils, armbands, keychains and more.

For most of us, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the things we're most thankful for. Now, a Stevens Point family has something new to add to that list.

A nursing student at Omaha’s College of St. Mary was selected from among numerous nominees to receive keys to a donated “recycled ride.”

Fourteen nonprofit agencies in the Omaha metropolitan area nominated women they felt would benefit from having a vehicle, and a Women’s Fund of Omaha committee selected Shawnie Irvin.

OVERLAND PARK, KS – This November, CARSTAR Collision Centers will honor America’s active duty and military veterans with a special celebration for National Military Month.  It will include a national recognition program, local market festivities for Veterans Day on November 11, and special fund-raising initiatives to help families of those serving the country.

You can avoid an accident with a buck – and spending lots of bucks on the damage – by following some smart driving tips this fall and winter.  Every year, some 1.5 million drivers hit a deer, and the cold weather months are peak season for deer-vehicle crashes.

CARSTAR Chicagoland Business Group Are Proud Sponsors of

Rockin’ for the Troops 2010 at Cantigny Park in Wheaton

CHICAGO– Rockin’ for the Troops returned to Cantigny Park, in Wheaton, Ill. on Saturday July 17th at noon for the fifth year in a row.  This year, the CARSTAR Chicagoland Business Group were proud sponsors of the event.  Rockin’ for the Troops is a fundraiser concert featuring Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band, designed to raise money for Operation Support Our Troops Illinois.

Watch the below clip with Dan Bailey, President and COO of CARSTAR, reviewing what you can do to prepare your vehicle for a Hurricane. 

http://www.studio10.tv/day/tuesday/segment.aspx/134699/CARSTAR

Jordan Road CARSTAR Collision in Centennial, Colo. had a great time raising money for a great cause that even included balloons and a racecar!

Cavalier CARSTAR Auto Body in St. Louis, Mo. Soaps It Up for charity.

Action CARSTAR Collision in Euclid, Ohio partcipated in the 2010 CARSTAR Soaps It Up program.

CARSTAR COLLISION CENTERS MAKE MAGIC HAPPEN WITH SOAPS IT UP CAR WASH, BREAK WORLD RECORD FOR MOST CARS WASHED IN ONE DAY

CARSTAR Soaps It Up Through the Rain

More than 140 Stores in the U.S. and Canada to Wash Cars and Raise Funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® and Kids with Cystic Fibrosis

CARSTAR Says Play It Safe and Celebrate with

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CAR IS TOTALED

 EAU CLAIRE – March 19, 2010, Tower Auto Body CARSTAR is teaming up with Badger State Recovery and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin  to offer a document shredding day on April 22^nd  (Earth Day) from 7am-10am at Tower Auto Body CARSTAR (1231 West Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire) Donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin, and Badger State Recovery will take up to three boxes of documents and "guarantee document shredding" of all of your personal information.

Frank's Autobody CARSTAR in Fairfield, OH, was recently honored by the Fairfield Rotary Club and the Fairfield Chamber of Commere at their annual Ethical Business Awards luncheon.  Represented by Dan Brinkmann, Frank's was recognized as the small-to-midsize Ethical Business Award winner.

CARSTAR Collision Centers Adds 10 New store Locations

to the CARSTAR Nation this Summer

• CARSTAR Raises Flags on First Locations in Iowa, Tennessee and North Carolina
• CARSTAR Locations Grow in Colorado, Ohio, Washington and Nevada
• More than 260 CARSTAR Stores around the Country Now Offering Latest Collision Repair Technology, National Warranties, Rental Vehicles and More for Their Residents

The national media and local market media are saluting CARSTAR for its nationwide initiative to honor military members this Veterans Day and all month long.  Media highlights include:

Welcome to the 2009 CARSTAR National Conference!  Check out the photos of the CARSTAR owners and corporate team members discussing marketing plans, new management techniques, technical training, social media, sales training and more.

Nothing is worse than having an accident and getting to get your car towed away, unless your car is taken to a shop you didn’t select and held hostage until you pay up.

How can you avoid getting taken for a ride when you get a tow?

The CARSTAR family continues to grow, adding four new franchisees to the nation's largest chain of collision centers this spring.

The Soaps It Up! carwash events around the U.S. and Canada were a big success!  Check out the photos from more events throughout North America.

Body Shop Business

With the economy struggling mightily, CARSTAR has released 10 action steps it’s advising its stores and other collision repair facilities to take to survive and hopefully thrive during tough times.

"View the video"

“CARSTAR's Super'Stang featured at the Ohio Expo Center on July 11 through 13, joining more than 6,000 hot rods at the 11th Goodguys PPG Nationals.”

“CARSTAR's Super'Stang featured at the Ohio Expo Center on July 11 through 13, joining more than 6,000 hot rods at the 11th Goodguys PPG Nationals.”

“CARSTAR celebrated its top award winners at an opening night dinner June 29 at its 2008 annual conference titled “Breaking Away” held in Baltimore, Maryland.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has delayed final approval of a regulation aimed at improving vehicle roof strength standards.

“CARSTAR raises questions about best hiring practices during an instructional session on hiring and employee retention at CARSTAR's 2008 national conference.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said that the widespread deployment of advanced integrated driver assistance systems could reduce rear-end, road departure and lane-change collisions by 48 percent, which represents 1.8 million crashes.

“CARSTAR recapitalized May 29 through management and Champlain Capital Partners. Prior to its recapitalization, CARSTAR was a portfolio company of the Atlanta-based private equity firm Equity-South Advisors LLC.”

Motor Development International (MDI) founder Guy Negre has developed the Compressed Air Car run by, you guessed it, compressed air.

The CARSTAR Super'Stang will join the American Drag Racing League (ADRL), ESPN and 40,000 fans for the Summer Drag Series at Knoll Gas Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich.

(DERBY, Kan., May 30, 2008) - The CARSTAR Super'Stang, a beautifully rebuilt 1967 Mustang, will join roughly 100 float entries and thousands of Derby Days celebrators at the 30th annual Derby Days Parade on May 30.

“This local television station posted a great story concerning the CARSTAR SuperStang and its nationwide fundraising effort.”

“Jeni Dodd of the Great Falls Tribune recently wrote a great article discussing the CARSTAR SuperStang at the Cruisin the Drag Car Show. Her article discusses how the money raised from this tour is helping children throughout the United States.”

BeyondParts.com is a online news source and daily newsletter service dedicated to automotive-related industry news. They posted information on the Super’Stang’s visit to this year’s Russo and Steel Auto Auction.

In the January edition of Parts & People. A short story was published that featured the Super'Stang, CARSTAR's NACE awards and a photo of President Dan Bailey.

The CARSTAR Connecticut group of repair facilities recently sponsored the I-CAR (Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair) MIG Welding Certification course at the Berlin, CT CARSTAR location. Nineteen students from Connecticut area shops attended this four hour comprehensive course.

CARSTAR the nation's largest group of collision repair stores and the largest in Yorkville have been busy repeating their company mott of Relax, We'll Take It From Here™. The recent group of fierce winter storms that produced up to 12 inches of snow across the region has tested the patience of divers, whose cars now suffer dents, dings, scrapes, and bangs.

Margaret Mead once said: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." This is true of a group of folks that wanted to make a difference...and it seems they have done just that.

CARSTAR Franchise Systems has recently named Stacy Bartnik as Assistance Vice President and Director of Franchise Services. Bartnik will be responsible for service operations, managing CARSTAR's Regional Service Managers that provide support to approximately 270 locations throughout the United States.

LKQ Corporation has recently acquired several recycled parts businesses with aggregate revenue in 2005 of approximately $24 million. Terms of these transactions were not disclosed.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, the largest insurer of autos in the nation, is implementing a companywide enhancement of its auto damage service repair programs. A new Select Service program that was tested in several markets in California, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan will replace existing Select Service and Service First(R) programs in designated markets. Select Service, an auto damage repair program currently in a limited number of locations, was introduced by State Farm in 2001.