Hanson & Company identified and conducted extensive research on the highly fragmented and dynamic collision repair industry. Hanson & Company then became the majority equity investor in Auto Body, E.R., L.L.C. After building the business, Hanson & Company sold Auto Body, E.R. to Sterling Collision Centers, a Boston-based group that was consolidating the collision repair industry, with equity backed by Conning Capital Partners and Berkshire Partners. In May 2001, Sterling Collision Centers was sold to Allstate Insurance Corporation.
“For two years Auto Body, E.R. was the best performing location in my territory, the Ohio region. Based upon the five benchmark measures which Sterling monitored: Sales per square foot; Earnings Before Interest and Taxes; Customer Satisfaction Index; On-time delivery; and, Average revenue per repair—it was the consistent winner– a Sterling operation.”
Michael Giarizzo, Jr., Regional Operations Manager
Sterling Collision Centers