Car ADAS Solutions, a leading provider of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) calibration technology and services, announced the addition of a new licensee---Midwest ADAS in Merrillville, IN. The facility, serving body shops in Indiana and Illinois, is co-owned by Andy Tylka and his brother, Geoff Beckett.
“We are very excited to be working with another industry leader, sharing our vision of how to tackle the ADAS calibration opportunity,” said Greg Peeters, CEO of Car ADAS Solutions. “We are energized by Andy’s and Geoff’s aggressive growth strategy and intense focus on repairing vehicles correctly, including ADAS calibrations.”
Midwest ADAS held an open house on July 12 with 45 people, which included estimators and technicians from 11 body shops. Many vendors also attended and showed their support.
“Attendees told us that it was the nicest calibration center they had seen,” said Tykla, who owns body shops in three different regions of Indiana and Illinois. “They were impressed that we built our operation around making it as easy as possible for shops to have their calibrations done following OEM standards.”
Tylka met Peeters at an AkzoNobel ACOAT Selected North American Performance Group event and heard him discuss the importance of calibration.
“I feel like I'm fairly educated about the collision repair industry, but it was beyond information that I knew about calibrations and how they're not necessarily being done properly and the reasons why,” said Tylka. “What Greg was saying was almost too good to be true with all their support and training.”
In February, Tylka and Beckett established Midwest ADAS in Northwest Indiana, outside of Chicago, IL. The first step was finding a location to set up the facility.
A Car ADAS Solutions’ team member was there the following day, planning the layout for the lighting and electrical, measuring the concrete and ensuring they were meeting OEM specifications.
“They were there along the way ensuring everything was set up properly, which made it so easy for us,” said Tylka.
With the support of Car ADAS Solutions, they opened Midwest ADAS within 50 days of securing a building.
“I was impressed with how organized they were with the turnkey business,” said Tylka. “They basically have all of the tooling that's required, which is absolutely amazing.”
Tylka and Beckett have also been pleased with the training provided. Before sending technicians to the hands-on education classes, the brothers attended the week-long training program in Salt Lake City, UT.
“It was wonderful,” he said. “I was blown away by what I don't know.”
Car ADAS Solutions has provided in-house training to employees, as well as to other shops during the recent open house.
“It was wonderful having the Car ADAS Solutions team there answering questions,” said Tykla.
Teaching surrounding body shop employees on how to calibrate vehicles “the right way” is a priority for the owners of Midwest ADAS.
“Body shops can bring their staff and learn what is involved in a calibration, how everything is done according to the auto manufacturers’ specifications and the documentation we provide,” said Tylka. “Just a couple of millimeters off in a calibration can affect the safety of the vehicle and put customers at risk.”
Although they were waiting for the “catch,” Tylka and Beckett have found Car ADAS Solutions has provided support during every step of the process, helping them set up Midwest ADAS.
“It's amazing because if our technicians can't figure something out during a calibration, they call our Car ADAS Solutions representative to walk them through the problem and solve any issues that arise,” said Tylka. “Rather than having an internal person that is the smartest in the room answering questions, we have an extreme expert just a phone call away helping us troubleshoot.”
To assist with efficiency, the owners of Midwest ADAS opened an Uber business account for staff to pick up and drop off vehicles.
“It’s such a time waster for body shops having to send two people to drop off a car and use their own vehicle back and forth,” said Tylka. “Staying at the shop adds more production value to the business.”
For shops that are further away, Midwest ADAS arranges towing for customers.
Every calibration is accompanied by documentation that validates it was done properly and includes photos of every step in the process. Tylka said this helps shops get reimbursed from insurers.
“I’ve found that insurers love it because they have the documentation and proof that it's being done correctly and the pricing is predictable,” he said.
If a vehicle can’t be calibrated due to wear and tear or suspension, it is returned at no charge.
As the president of the Indiana Auto Body Association and a shop owner, Tylka often hears members talk about calibration and realizes how far behind the industry is in terms of its knowledge.
“We’re all in the same boat wanting to do calibrations correctly,” he said. “I look at us as friends, not competitors.”
Tylka stressed the importance of teaching shop owners and their staff on how to identify the safety systems and what is needed to calibrate correctly. He is in the process of creating educational material to share with collision repair facilities.
“As the first standalone facility in Indiana to do this the right way, we're trying to set the bar in the industry,” he said. “I feel like we have the responsibility of educating Indiana and the industry on the need for calibration.”
Tylka and Beckett are renovating a second facility and a third and fourth facility are under contract.
“We're going to grow as fast as I can locate the buildings,” said Tylka, who plans to open additional facilities with Car ADAS Solutions by the end of the year.
“I love that we're doing calibrations the right way,” he said. “When body shops receive the vehicle, they know 100% that it's being calibrated correctly.”
Source: Car ADAS Solutions
