Get ready to start a new shopping list. The annual “Kool Tools” presentation returns next week, offering the industry a look at some of the notable equipment from the SEMA show.

Veteran shop owner Kye Yeung (European Motor Car Works) and trainer Toby Chess (Kent Automotive) will offer their picks Jan. 15 during the Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ open board meeting in Palm Springs, Calif. 

Every year, the two SCRS Education Committee heads scour the SEMA aisles for interesting gear. After testing the items, Chess and Yeung present any tools and equipment that pass muster to the January SCRS open board meeting and the Collision Industry Conference. The duo largely buys the items out-of-pocket to avoid any conflicts of interest.

“The highlighted tools, found by members of the Education Committee during the SEMA Show, illuminate unique solutions that stood out to committee members as solutions that would be helpful in the collision repair process,” SCRS wrote in a news release Wednesday.

SCRS members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend the open board meeting, which will run 3-5 p.m. in the Tapestry Room of the Palm Springs Hilton. The event should feature a great deal of other useful information about the collision industry and the national trade group’s activities. SCRS by itself and through its 40 affiliates represents about 6,000 collision repair businesses and nearly 60,000 professionals.

“The SCRS board of directors welcomes anyone wishing to learn more about the current state of the association’s activities and pressing industry topics, to the open meeting,” SCRS wrote. “The agenda encourages interactive conversation with the meeting participants and serves as an opportunity to share topical feedback with the association as well.  Attendees are not required to be a member of SCRS to participate, there is no cost, and pre-registration is not required.”

For more information about SCRS, call 877-841-0660, email info@scrs.com, or visit www.scrs.com.

The SCRS open board meeting ends shortly before the 6:30 p.m. Collision Industry Conference reception Jan. 15. The Collision Industry Conference itself runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next day and is another must-attend.

Other January CIC Week events include:

• The National Auto Body Council holds its open board meeting from noon to 4 p.m. on Jan. 13. The next day, Jan. 14, the organization will hold a golf tournament fundraiser from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., give Recycled Rides vehicles at 4 p.m. and host a NABC member appreciation reception at 5 p.m. as part of what it calls the “2020 NABC Day.”
• The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association will hold an open board meeting from 8 a.m. to noon on Jan. 15. All are welcome.
• The Collision Industry Foundation’s annual gala fundraiser runs from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 16 following the CIC.

Are you holding an event or a meeting in 2020? Post it on the free, interactive Repairer Driven News events calendar for the entire industry to see.

More information:

“Join SCRS for Open Board Meeting in January”

Society of Collision Repair Specialists, Jan. 1, 2020

Featured image: Society of Collision Repair Specialists Education Committee Co-Chairman Toby Chess (Kent Automotive) presented “Kool Tools” from SEMA 2018 to an SCRS open board meeting Jan. 16, 2019. (John Huetter/Repairer Driven News)