ATA’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PROVIDES AN EXCITING UPDATE ON INDUSTRY INNOVATION
Our avid readers know that Collision Repair magazine advocates for the entire nation. As such, we are thrilled to introduce our first interview in a new series, where we check in with provincial associations to hear their latest advancements in industry innovation.
First up—Manitoba. We spoke to Denis Cloutier, the executive director of the Automotive Trades Association of Manitoba (ATA of Manitoba) to hear what this ultraproductive group has introduced to bring our industry to new heights.
Collision Repair mag: We won’t dive too deep into it, as I know discussions are ongoing. But can you elaborate on your current dealings with Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI)?
Denis Cloutier: We always have to consider maintaining healthy labour rates to attract and retain our labour force. There’s a need to balance the labour rate with the pressures of overhead expenses and investment requirements with targeted compensation requests.
CRM: I hear there are also some pretty exciting plans in regard to schooling partnerships.
DC: Yes, we are working with Red River Polytechnic in Winnipeg to develop a collision repair estimating program as its own career path. We believe we can attract new talent to that career path, without [them] ever having worked on the tools you would require as a Red Seal to be a collision repair estimator.
We can’t afford to be taking qualified technicians off the tools to estimate vehicles. We’re just in the beginning stages of planning, but we’ve met with Red River to discuss the content of this course. We want these individuals partaking in the course to come out with a certification.
When the students graduate, we strive for them to be capable of writing 80 percent of those estimates. While they may not be able to write a $25,000 estimate off the bat, we anticipate they can write up to $6,000 estimates straight out of the program.
“We always have to consider maintaining healthy labour rates to attract and retain our labour force. There’s a need to balance the labour rate with the pressures of overhead expenses and investment requirements with targeted compensation requests.”
— Denis Cloutier, executive director, ATA of Manitoba
DC: The program will be all in-person, hands-on training. Our target audience is people perhaps considering the automotive trade, but not necessarily interested in working with traditional tools.
CRM: We attended the ATA of Manitoba Trade Show in 2023—it was impressive. I hear things are even better now.
DC: It is quite exciting to see the level of interest we have generated. Our 2024 Trade Show and Collision Olympics had the biggest turnout we’ve ever seen. Truth be told, we are struggling to find a venue big enough [for our 2025 show] to accommodate the massive interest we’ve accrued. I feel this truly underscores the positive trajectory of the Manitoba industry.
CRM: Lastly, I want to highlight some of the impressive individuals you have representing Manitoba on a national scale.
DC: Yes—Manitoba’s very own Renee Sicotte of Marion Auto Body and Glass was recently nominated as a 2025 Most Influential Woman by the Women’s Industry Network. It’s wonderful to see two Canadians recognized this year; Trista Anger of BASF also received a nomination.
We are immensely proud of Renee’s work on bringing WIN to Canada. She has been a driving force, especially in our own province, in promoting the evolvement of this organization on Canadian soil. Congratulations to Renee for this incredible honour—we can’t wait to see what she does next.
