A new look and direction for AARN

During the past 12 years the AARN Group has achieved many milestones. Now it heads into the future with a new look and new structure.

A new look and direction was unveiled in Melbourne by the Australian Accident Repair Network which will include giving members access to a host of manufacturers’ data for vehicle repair.

AARN general manager, Geoff Bedford, unveiled the new look and structure to 112 members at the network’s 2009 annual conference.

Apart from a new logo and an array of corporate branding and merchandise, the change also sees a new structural arrangement for the organisation.

AARN will be owned by its members and only body shops can be shareholders, Bedford said. He pointed out that body shops had to meet the AARN criteria for membership of the organisation.

“AARN will be made up of current subscription members that will pay an annual membership fee and shareholder members who will also pay an annual membership fee, but the shareholders will share in future AARN profit opportunities,” he said.

“There are 36 AARN member body shops that have become shareholders.”

From the 36 shareholders, five have been nominated to make up the new entity’s board of directors. They are Richard Nathan from NSW, Frank Sulian from South Australia, Phil Munday from Victoria, Vaugan Pappin from Queensland and Paul Sprunt from Victoria. Bedford will continue as AARN manager.

Bedford said, via the AARN web site, members would be able to access manufacturers’ data for the repair of vehicles. This will include data from Mitsubishi Motors, Nisan, GM Holden, Ford, Toyota, Hyundi, Mazda, Subaru, Thatchamnet and Audatex.

The AARN Group has 112 individually owned body shops, 2,187 staff and generate an annual turnover of $365m.
Branding will include exterior wall signage; internal/reception area pull up AARN banner; a customer charter counter card; the AARN benchmarking program; and AARN OH&S monitored program.