Boyd Group Services CEO Timothy O’Day says the collision repair industry’s primary challenge is also its greatest opportunity.

“We are in a service business that is fully dependent on our people, so to excel we need to continue to invest in our people as well as our business processes,” O’Day told Repairer Driven News.

RDN interviewed O’Day following the December announcement that he would step down from his role on May 14 after a 27-year tenure.

“One of the most significant challenges is to continue to build the talent needed to run a great business and ensure that our technicians have the right training and experience to repair increasingly complex vehicles,” he said. “Our greatest opportunity is to continue to invest in our people so that we continue to be well-positioned to deliver great results as the market continues to evolve.”

A press release announcing the succession states that throughout the past 20 years, O’Day has “played an integral role in Boyd Group’s growth and success.”

O’Day began at Gerber Collision & Glass in February 1998 and, with Boyd Group’s acquisition of Gerber in 2004, was appointed chief operating officer of Boyd’s U.S. Operations.

In 2008, O’Day was appointed U.S. operations president and COO until January 2017 when he was appointed president and COO over all of Boyd’s operations in the U.S. and Canada. Since 2012, he has served on the company’s board of directors. He has served as president and CEO since 2020.

“The collision repair industry thrives because of the people who make it work on a daily basis,” O’Day said. “At Boyd, we have invested in training and development of our people and that has propelled us to be in the position we are today — an industry leader. Our people in our repair centers and our corporate leadership and support staff are dedicated to delivering high-quality repairs and outstanding customer service.

“This industry is rich with opportunities to deliver value and perform a critical service to the communities we serve. We should continue to highlight these tremendous attributes to help build it for many years to come.”

O’Day touted I-CAR’s curriculum and training offerings and Boyd’s Technician Development Program. He said the program allows Boyd to train and develop its own technicians, which grew by over 500 trainees between 2021 and 2023. O’Day is also a past chairman of I-CAR’s board.

“This not only helped address our growing need for highly trained technicians, it also expanded our capacity during a period of robust demand,” O’Day said. “Boyd and the entire industry need to be committed to training and to process improvement.

“We have demonstrated our commitment to innovation by collaborating with our industry partners as demonstrated by our plastic repair program. We have a goal to double our rate of plastic repair versus the industry and in our pilot programs, we have shown that this is possible. Not only does this benefit the environment by keeping plastic out of landfills, it also drives down the cost of repair.”

O’Day added that while the industry can’t control much of what drives costs up, a focus on repairing versus replacing parts could help.

“As is common in many industries, we see great opportunities in innovation, including changes to repair processes, changes to technology, and changes to systems,” he said.

However, O’Day added that he and Boyd are concerned mandated technology platforms add complexity and cost to the collision repair industry, which stifles innovation.

“For example, it is generally difficult for us to move data between systems,” O’Day said. “A change that would benefit everyone would be to move to more open platforms that reduce cost, drive data exchange, and foster innovation.”

When asked how vehicle technology has changed the business model for large national repair businesses, O’Day said Boyd benefits from specialized investments in some of its locations to address “emerging repair needs.”

“An older example relates to structural aluminum repairs, which require specialized equipment, training, and dedicated repair space,” he said. “Rather than have this everywhere, we work with our customers to move vehicles with aluminum structural damage to a properly equipped location. We take a similar approach with other specialized needs, including OE certifications.”

Looking forward, based on “high levels of customer satisfaction and shorter repair time” through direct repair programs, O’Day said he expects increased DRP throughput and for OE certification programs to be a part of the decision-making process for referrals.

“We may also see an increase in the percentage of work that is customer pay, with high deductibles becoming more common,” he said.

As for his successor, Brian Kaner, O’Day said in the press release that he has helped navigate “dynamic economic and industry conditions with resilience and adaptability ” while focusing on increasing value for customers and shareholders.

Kaner is currently Boyd’s president and chief operating officer. He joined Boyd in October 2022 as COO of collision operations.

“This leadership transition provides a logical opportunity for Boyd to announce the company’s next long-term growth goal in early 2025 as Brian prepares to lead the company through its next phase of growth and development,” O’Day said. “I will continue to be available to support Brian in his transition to CEO in an advisory capacity through to the end of 2025.”

Before coming to Boyd, Kaner was president and CEO of Pep Boys and Icahn Automotive Services. Before joining Icahn Enterprises L.P., Kaner worked for Sears Holdings Corp. as president of Sears Auto Centers. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Illinois State University.

“I am honored that the board has selected me as Boyd’s next CEO and I am extremely excited for our future,” Kaner said, in the release. “We continue to execute against a solid business strategy supported by a strong leadership team. Tim’s continued support, along with the support of the Board and the Boyd leadership team will provide for a smooth transition and will continue to position Boyd well for the future.”

Dave Brown, independent chair of the Boyd Board of Directors, said he and the board believe Kaner is well positioned to take the helm and thanked O’Day for his “excellent and unwavering leadership” of Boyd, according to the release.

Images

Featured image: Timothy O’Day (Provided by Boyd Group via CNW Group; Driven Brands)