This is the most rewarding issue of FenderBender we produce all year.
That’s saying something, as we take a lot of pride in producing valuable content each and every month to help you grow your business—improving livelihoods is what makes this job worth doing. But in this annual issue, the FenderBender Awards issue, we get to formally recognize some of the most talented, dedicated and inspiring industry professionals—those setting the bar for everyone else in the industry.
If you’re new to FenderBender or just need a refresher, the FenderBender Awards recognize peer-nominated collision repair professionals in five categories: executive, management, shop worker, administrative support, and wild card (open to individuals in or outside of the shop who do not fall into the other categories). Anyone can nominate. All it takes is filling out a form at fenderbenderawards.com that asks for details on business achievements, industry and community contributions, personal influence and any other relevant information.
After nominations close, the editorial team takes on the heavy task of reviewing every entry, selecting finalists, interviewing nominees, and choosing winners. This marks the ninth year of our awards program and the sixth that I’ve been involved in, and this was the best round of nominations I’ve seen yet.
Nominating someone only takes a few minutes, but it’s clear that nominators are pouring a lot more time and effort into the process. In a fast-paced industry that often commands so much of our readers’ time, it’s impressive to see. It’s also reflective of all the good taking place in collision repair.
You’ll see nominees sprinkled in the magazine throughout the year in our Awards Insight section on page 28, but the winners are profiled in this issue. And this month, they’ll be recognized at the FenderBender Management Conference, a first for this program that we plan to carry into future years. Congratulations to the 2016 FenderBender Award recipients and thanks to all of the nominators.
Jake Weyer, editorial director
[email protected]
