By Jeff Sanford
Madison, Indiana — November 24, 2015 — Indiana-based equipment manufacturer Chief Automotive just released its list of annual award-winning clients, and brand new Ontario-based distributor Alu Autotech garnered a mention as an exciting new rookie in the industry.
Chief manufactures lifts, racks and pulling equipment for the collision repair industry. Company executives presented the awards at its annual meeting in Las Vegas this month.
The awards are for sales performance in 2014. The big winner was Crashmax out of Delaware. The company tabled the biggest sales of the year, garnering the first place finish. But it was relatively new distributor Alu Autotech that made up the Canadian content in the list of winners.
As reported this past spring on collisionrepairmag.com, Alu Autotech is a relatively new company that has begun distributing Chief equipment here in Ontario. The company operates out of a 3,600 sq. ft. facility in Brampton, Ontario. The facility features a training centre and demo area. Clients can try out new Chief collision repair equipment, including computerized measuring systems, welders and shop tools. The company was recognized as an “exciting newbie” at the awards.
Commenting on the event Bob Holland, director of collision sales in North and South America, said,”Our extensive distribution network plays a significant role in Chief’s success…Chief distributors are trained on the latest collision repair advancements, so they can provide unmatched support and service. For most customers, the local Chief distributor serves as a one-stop resource for pulling, joining and measuring equipment, and we are happy to recognize those who excel in all three fields.”
The complete list of winners:
2014 Sales Leader
Crashmax (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania andVirginia region)
Advanced Equipment (Alabama, Georgia, Northern Florida region)
Collision Tools Inc. (New England region)
Highest Percentage Sales Growth from 2013 to 2014
Collision Tools Inc. (New England region)
Kachina Automotive Equipment (Arizona region)
D&A Inc. (Utah, Idaho and Montana region)
2014 Measuring Hotshot
Midwest Spraybooth (Ohio, Kentucky, parts of West Virginia region)
2014 Spot Welding Leader
Midwest Spraybooth (Ohio, Kentucky, parts of West Virginia region)
2014 Pulling Leader
Crashmax (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania and Virginiaregion)
Exciting Newbie
Alu Autotech (Quebec and Ontario region)
Chief is owned by Vehicle Service Group (VSG), a major manufacturer of collision repair products and services. Chief manufactures frame-pulling equipment, vehicle-anchoring systems, measuring systems, vehicle frame specifications and fusion equipment including welders, rivet guns and fume extractors. Chief also provides training on structural analysis, measuring, collision dynamics, aluminum repair, and design based repair. The company is headquartered in scenic and historica Madison Indiana.
