December 04, 2015

I-CAR announced it is recognizing Eric’s Auto Center CARSTAR in Tucson, Ariz., as the first collision repair facility to achieve 25 years of continuous Gold Class recognition. In addition to being the first business to do this, Eric’s CARSTAR is one of only 10 percent of collision repair businesses that hold the Gold Class designation today. At a recent dinner, owner Eric Grossman was personally recognized by local Tucson I-CAR committee members and I-CAR staff and was presented with a new Gold Class plaque that displays the 25-year milestone.

In 1979, Grossman became the next generation owner of the family repair business. Eager to build continuous learning into his business’ culture, he began looking for technical training for his staff, but very few options were available in his area at that time. To overcome the training shortage, Grossman found I-CAR, which also opened its doors in 1979. Seeing the value that I-CAR offered to the industry, particularly due to the introduction of the unibody design the same year, Grossman not only introduced I-CAR training to his business but also became an I-CAR collision repair instructor, a committee member and ultimately a mentor in his local community.

“I have been a supporter of I-CAR and the training they have provided since the beginning,” said Grossman. “Technology has changed dramatically since then, and I-CAR has done a great job shifting with the industry. A few years ago, technicians were resistant to training. Now, I commonly hear technicians remark on a new skill or technique that they learned from I-CAR. Training to Gold Class means my business has one more tool that gets cars back to customers on time and with a quality repair, done right.”

I-CAR CEO and President John Van Alstyne added, “I want to personally congratulate Eric Grossman and the team at Eric’s CARSTAR for its unwavering commitment to training and their 25-year Gold Class milestone. A business that supports and commits to a culture of learning paves the way to continued excellence and complete, safe and quality repairs for its customers.”

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