Zara’s Collision names new assistant GM

Brady Smith has been named assistant general manager of Zara’s Collision Center in Springfield, Ill.

Smith, a resident of Athens, Ill., began his career at Zara’s part-time in June 2008 while still a teenager. His experience at Zara’s has encompassed facility maintenance, vehicle detailing, paint prep for a range of makes and models, customer service and bookkeeping.

For the past year, Smith has served as Zara’s coordinator of continuing education and safety compliance. He also recently completed a 10-week management internship.

“Brady has literally grown up with our business, and we’re very pleased that he is stepping into a leadership role with us,” said Brad Zara, president of Zara’s Collision Center. “He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Robert Morris University in Springfield in mid-February and joined us full time afterwards. Because of his hands-on experience and academic achievement, Brady brings a valuable perspecitive to our operations.”

Zara’s, now in its 27th year of business, is Honda Motor Co.’s only ProFirst collision repair facility in the Springfield area and the only Springfield-area shop to have Chrysler’s Assured Performance certification. Zara’s Benevolence Program has given away 25 refurbished vehicles to deserving individuals in the 14 years of the program. The shop’s 12-month customer satisfaction rating is 93.4 percent as reported by the CSI Complete survey firm.

For more information visit www.zaracollision.com.