Bruce King of King Collision Centers hands over the keys to a 2005 Mazda 6 to Ernie Menslage. Menslage's wife won the drawing for the auto, which was rebuilt by auto repair students from Plymouth South as part of the Plymouth Safe Driving Campaign.

PLYMOUTH, MA…

You might say Beth Menslage was having a bad week. A bad fall had landed the Pine Hills resident in the hospital with a fractured hip. While nothing will take the physical pain of her injury away, her spirits were lifted considerably when her ticket was drawn as the winner of a 2005 Mazda 6, courtesy of the Plymouth Safe Driving Campaign.

The Plymouth Safe Driving Campaign–sponsored by King Collision Centers, Commerce Insurance, Plymouth Public Schools and Plymouth Police Department—has been a yearlong effort to encourage young drivers to practice safe driving habits. Part of that campaign included a donation by Commerce Insurance of a damaged car for the auto repair students at Plymouth South’s technical studies program to repair the vehicle for a raffle. That raffle took in nearly $5,000 in proceeds, which will go back to the Plymouth Technical Studies’ SkillsUSA program.

“Mrs. Menslage is not the only winner in this drawing,” said Gary Maestas, superintendent of Plymouth Public Schools. “The students who repaired the car have received invaluable experience that they can take to the workplace with them. And the money raised by the raffle will benefit students at both Plymouth North and South high schools who want to partake in marketing, nursing, culinary and the many other programs in SkillsUSA.”

Students began work on the 2005 Mazda 6 in November 2009. Using recycled parts, the students repaired damage to the front end. In fact, the only new parts installed were the tires, brakes,  seatbelts and airbags, the latter two being requirements in a repair of this nature.

“This project had a phenomenal effect on our students,” said Chris Baker, director of Plymouth Public Schools Technical Studies. “Before this, many of them were on the fence about whether or not to pursue a career in auto repair. After working on a project like this, which is a far more sophisticated repair, a few are considering continuing their vocational training at Baran Institute.”

Ernie Menslage accepted the Mazda 6 on behalf of his wife. Mrs. Menslage purchased the winning ticket on a recent visit to Plymouth South High School to get her hair cut by the Technical Studies program’s cosmetology students. “She’s always supported the programs at the school,” added Menslage.

“Mrs. Menslage winning the Mazda 6 is the proverbial icing on the cake for the Plymouth Safe Driving Campaign,” said Bruce King, owner of King Collision Centers. “It’s wonderful that somebody who has been an active supporter of the Technical Studies programs won car.”

Continued King, “It’s even better that so many students have benefitted from the Plymouth Safe Driving Campaign, from the auto repair students to the two students who won In Control driving classes, from the students who committed to safer driving practices by signing safe driving contracts with their parents to the students who heard Ethan Morgan’s story of how your life can change forever in a second with one bad decision. The Plymouth Safe Driving Campaign has been an overall success.”

For a complete rundown of the events and activities that comprised the Plymouth Safe Driving Campaign, please visit www.plymouthsafedriving.org.

Anyone Can Remove Dents – King Collision Centers Removes Doubts

Founded in 1984 by Bruce King, King Collision Centers provides superior collision repair and extraordinary customer care to thousands of clients south of Boston. King Collision is dedicated to earning customers for life and their team of professionals help clients through the collision repair process every step of the way – from coordinating a rental vehicle; providing accurate damage appraisal; assisting with the insurance claim process and ensuring that the vehicle is returned to its pre-accident operation, safety and value.

King Collision Centers was voted “Best Collision Repair” by Market Surveys of America and they have been selected to participate in the Repair Shop Referral Programs of 20 different insurance companies.  That includes being part of Commerce Insurance’s CARES (Commerce Auto Express Repair Service) Shops, an elite program that includes approximately 120 collision shops across Massachusetts.

  
The company continues to build strategic alliances with auto dealerships, enabling dealerships to offer collision repair services on-site – similar to their alignment with Mastria Auto Group in Raynham.

King Collision Centers are located in Pembroke, Plymouth and most recently, Raynham, MA.

For more information, visit KingCollision.com or contact 508-747-2005

Over the past few years, the lay of the land has changed for young drivers—increased driver’s education requirements, stricter rules for new drivers (e.g. six months before being allowed to drive non-family members) and stiffer fines for speeding and other violations. The end result has been a dramatic decline in teen driving fatalities and traffic violations—a fact applauded by the Plymouth Safe Driving Campaign.

“We raised the bar for young drivers in Massachusetts and it’s encouraging that they have risen to the challenge,” said Bruce King, owner of King Collision Centers, who along with the Plymouth Public Schools, Plymouth Police Department and Commerce Insurance has sponsored the Plymouth Safe Driving campaign (www.plymouthsafedriving.org).

Since 2006, when the new laws when into effect, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles reports the number of speeding tickets issued new teen drivers has dropped by nearly 60 percent. Citations for seat-belt violations, passenger restrictions, and other offenses have fallen at a similar rate. Most importantly, the number of fatalities for drivers under 18 during that time has dropped 75 percent, including five out of the last six months ending without a fatal accident involving a driver under 18.

“The numbers don’t lie, the new laws and tougher requirements are working,” said Gary Maestas, superintendent of Plymouth Public Schools. “Yet even though we’re seeing tremendous improvement, reinforcing the safe driving message through vehicles like the Plymouth Safe Driving campaign is key to continuing this trend.”

The Plymouth Safe Driving campaign is a multi-pronged effort to promoting safe driving habits for Plymouth North and Plymouth South high schools. Part of the campaign included a student-parent contract in which young drivers sign an actual contract with their parents agreeing to safe driving practices. School students who turn in a signed contract to their principal at either Plymouth North or South high school were entered into a drawing for In Control’s Crash Prevention Training course (a $350 value).

Another component of the Plymouth Safe Driving campaign has been the donation of a 2005 Mazda 6 by Commerce Insurance to the Technical Studies program at Plymouth South. Auto repair students have been fixing up the crashed vehicle and a drawing to win the car will take place on May 26. Tickets are $10 a piece and are available at both Plymouth South High School and at Plymouth North High School’s school stores. Students under the age of 18 must be licensed drivers in order to purchase a ticket.

In addition, tickets are also available at NAPA Manomet Auto Supply, 21 Robert J. Way in Plymouth, King Collision Centers, 48 Holman Road in Plymouth, and at South Side Cruise Night, to be held every Wednesday night in May at Plymouth South High School (May 5, May 12, May 19 and May 26). The winner will be drawn on May 26 at the South Side Cruise Night at Plymouth South.

Proceeds from the sale of the vehicle will go back into SkillsUSA, the non-profit funding source for the technical studies program at both Plymouth North and Plymouth South High School.

For updates on latest events and activities related to the Plymouth Safe Driving program and additional safety information, please visit www.plymouthsafedriving.org.

Anyone Can Remove Dents – King Collision Centers Removes Doubts

Founded in 1984 by Bruce King, King Collision Centers provides superior collision repair and extraordinary customer care to thousands of clients south of Boston. King Collision is dedicated to earning customers for life and their team of professionals help clients through the collision repair process every step of the way – from coordinating a rental vehicle; providing accurate damage appraisal; assisting with the insurance claim process and ensuring that the vehicle is returned to its pre-accident operation, safety and value.

King Collision Centers was voted “Best Collision Repair” by Market Surveys of America and they have been selected to participate in the Repair Shop Referral Programs of 20 different insurance companies.  That includes being part of Commerce Insurance’s CARES (Commerce Auto Express Repair Service) Shops, an elite program that includes approximately 120 collision shops across Massachusetts.

The company continues to build strategic alliances with auto dealerships, enabling dealerships to offer collision repair services on-site – similar to their alignment with Mastria Auto Group in Raynham.

King Collision Centers are located in Pembroke, Plymouth and most recently, Raynham, MA. For more information, visit KingCollision.com or contact 508-747-2005.

When discussing historic road races in New England, none tops the Boston Marathon. Yet if you want to talk about road race courses with history, none can best the first Old Sandwich Road Race on June 6—a half marathon taking place on Old Sandwich Road, the oldest road in America.

Originally a trail used by the Wampanoag Native American tribe, Old Sandwich Road later became the nation’s first true public road and a stagecoach route to ferry passengers and mail back and forth between the Massachusetts towns of Plymouth and Sandwich. Today, the road remains pretty much as the Pilgrims left it–a wide, scenic, dirt road bordered by beautiful tall pine trees and towering oaks.

“In creating this race, we wanted to accomplish many things,” said Craig Valentine Brenner, Old Sandwich Road Race organizer and Plymouth resident. “The first was to create an attractive destination race in Plymouth that would draw local runners and folks from outside the region. There’s really no better road to accomplish that than Old Sandwich Road, the same trail America’s original settlers traveled. But we also wanted this race to benefit local causes and businesses.”

To that end, the profits from the first Old Sandwich Road Race will go to the Home for Little Wanderers’ Baird Center, located at 900 Ship Pond Road in Plymouth. The Baird Center works with boys grades 4 through 11 with social and emotional issues. Much like Old Sandwich Road’s claim to being a first, The Home for Little Wanderers, founded in 1799, is the oldest child welfare services agency in the United States.

The appeal of the course and the cause have already drawn interest from local sponsors with their own rich history, like Plimouth Plantation, The Governor Bradford Inn and Martha Stone Soup, a restaurant in an historic carriage house located along Old Sandwich Road. Other sponsors include: Entergy, Retrofit Technologies, Bayside Runner, King Collision Centers and the Village Racquet & Fitness Club at the Pinehills.

In addition to the half marathon, the Old Sandwich Road Race features a 10k, sponsored by Plimouth Plantation and Entergy and starting at Plimouth Plantation, and a Kids Classic. The Kids Classic features four one-mile kids’ races with age groups from 7 to 14 years of age and a children’s fun sprint of 100 meters. The Kids Classic will take place on the track at Plymouth South High School, which is also the end point for both the half marathon and 10k.

“The Old Sandwich Road Race truly does offer something for everybody. And with a June 6 race date, it’s kind of nice kickoff to the summer,” said Brenner. “We’re thrilled with the number of runners, sponsors and volunteers who have signed on to date and there’s still plenty of time for even more people to get involved with what we anticipate being the first of many annual races.”

For information about the race and registration, please visit http://www.oldsandwichroadrace.com. If you would like to be a sponsor, the minimum sponsorship is $250. You can contact Craig Brenner, craigvbrenner@yahoo.com, 781-419-4207 to inquire about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities.

King Collision’s staff from the Raynham collision repair shop has attained I-CAR Gold Class certification, which is one of the highest levels of certification obtainable within the Collision Repair Industry. I-CAR is a world wide, not-for-profit training organization that is renowned for training collision repair technicians and insurance company appraisers on original vehicle manufacturer recommended repair procedures, for restoring collision damaged vehicles back to pre-accident operation, safety and value.

In their commitment to excellence in their profession and dedication to the consumer, King Collision invested $45K overall for staff training in I-CAR’s latest collision repair technologies in order for them to become certified through the I-CAR training program as Gold Class Professionals.

I-CAR Gold Class Professionals offer consumers a symbol of trust. This superior training will bring additional peace of mind to all King Collision customers by knowing that their vehicle will receive the latest factory approved repair technology, faster repair cycle time, with guaranteed customer satisfaction at King Collision Centers.

“Our goal is to continue to have the best trained professionals in the business. We intend to use I-CAR certification as a recruitment tool as well. Any individual applying for a position at King will have to be a certified I-CAR Gold Class Professional as a condition of employment. We’re dedicated to providing the best service possible to our customers and to do so, we employ the best trained professionals,” explained Bruce King, owner.

I-CAR Gold Class Certification is now required by a number of national insurance providers.

About I-CAR

Founded in 1979, I-CAR is an international, not-for-profit training organization dedicated to improving the quality, safety, and efficiency of auto collision repair for the ultimate benefit of the customer. To learn more about the rigorous training and I-CAR Gold Class certification, visit the website at www.i-car.com.

Anyone Can Remove Dents – King Collision Centers Removes Doubts

Founded in 1984 by Bruce King, King Collision Centers provides superior collision repair and extraordinary customer care to thousands of clients south of Boston. The company is dedicated to earning customers for life and their team of professionals’ help clients through the collision repair process every step of the way – from coordinating a rental vehicle; providing accurate damage appraisal; assisting with the insurance claim process and ensuring that the vehicle is returned to its pre-accident operation, safety and value. King Collision Centers have been selected to participate in the Repair Shop Referral Programs of 20 different insurance companies.

King Collision Centers continues to build strategic alliances with auto dealerships that want to offer collision repair services on-site, through strategic alliances such as the one with Mastria Auto Group in Raynham.

King Collision Centers are located in Pembroke, Plymouth and Raynham, MA.

When it comes to getting young drivers to operate their vehicles in a safer fashion, there is no quick fix. The sponsors of the Plymouth Safe Driving Campaign—King Collision Centers, Commerce Insurance, the Plymouth Public Schools department  and Plymouth Police Department—are hoping the same can’t be said about a car they recently donated to Plymouth South High School’s technical studies program.

Commerce Insurance arranged for the car in question, a 2005 Mazda 6 damaged in a crash last year, to be donated; King Collision Centers will be contributing some of the parts. Students in the Tech Studies program have begun repair work—including paint, body and suspension work—with an aim on completion in May 2010. The car will then be raffled off in the spring with proceeds going to the Technical Studies program.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our students from so many perspectives. First, they get to do more sophisticated repair work than what we typically have available for them do. Second, they are fixing a car for the purpose of it being sold and that’s fantastic training,” said Chris Baker, director of Technical Studies at Plymouth South High School. “Last, the funds raised from raffling of this car will be an incredible shot in the arm for our program.”

Progress of the car’s repair will appear on Plymouth South’s Web site www.plymouth.k12.ma.us. In addition, the school’s news program  Panther TV will also be covering the progress of repairs. Updates will also be posted on the Plymouth Safe Driving campaign’s Web site, www.plymouthsafedriving.org. The cost and availability of raffle tickets will be announced at a later date.

“The Plymouth Safe Driving campaign really is about education. While our primary goal is to spread the word about safer driving practices for younger drivers, if we can help cultivate the next generation of auto mechanics, that’s an added bonus,” said Bruce King, owner of King Collision Centers.

The Plymouth Safe Driving program is a multi-pronged approach to promoting safe driving habits for Plymouth North and Plymouth South high schools. Working with Plymouth Public Schools, the Plymouth Police Department and Commerce Insurance, King developed a Web site, www.plymouthsafedriving.org, offering safe driving tips and discounts on In Control, a safe driving training program (www.driveincontrol.com).

For updates on latest events and activities related to the Plymouth Safe Driving program and additional safety information, please visit www.plymouthsafedriving.org.

Anyone Can Remove Dents – King Collision Centers Removes Doubts

Founded in 1984 by Bruce King, King Collision Centers provides superior collision repair and extraordinary customer care to thousands of clients south of Boston. King Collision is dedicated to earning customers for life and their team of professionals help clients through the collision repair process every step of the way – from coordinating a rental vehicle; providing accurate damage appraisal; assisting with the insurance claim process and ensuring that the vehicle is returned to its pre-accident operation, safety and value.

King Collision Centers was voted “Best Collision Repair” by Market Surveys of America and they have been selected to participate in the Repair Shop Referral Programs of 20 different insurance companies.  That includes being part of Commerce Insurance’s CARES (Commerce Auto Express Repair Service) Shops, an elite program that includes approximately 120 collision shops across Massachusetts.

The company continues to build strategic alliances with auto dealerships, enabling dealerships to offer collision repair services on-site – similar to their alignment with Mastria Auto Group in Raynham.

King Collision Centers are located in Pembroke, Plymouth and most recently, Raynham, MA.

For more information, visit KingCollision.com or contact 508-747-2005

It’s easy to get caught up in the childlike exuberance of the season’s first snow storm. For newer drivers who may not have driven in snow before that exuberance can lead to getting stuck snow banks, fender benders and worse. As part of its safe driving campaign for Plymouth high school students, King Collision Centers and its partners in the campaign—Commerce Insurance, the Plymouth Police Department and Plymouth Public Schools–recently issued safe driving tips for winter on its Web site, www.plymouthsafedriving.org.

“Depending on the time of year you got your learner’s permit, there’s a good chance that many new drivers have not driven in snowy, inclement weather with a parent or instructor. That makes a big difference in how you approach navigating the roadways this time of year,” said Bruce King, owner of King Collision Centers. “But whether you’re a new driver or not, we all should be following these tips for safer winter driving.”

For starters, drivers should:

• Clear all snow and ice from your windows to avoid any obstructed views. The hood and roof of your vehicle should also be cleared to prevent wind-blown snow from obstructing other drivers’ views.
• Leave plenty of room between you and the vehicle in front of you for stopping. Remember, the posted speed limits are set for dry pavements. So, if the driver ahead of you is going less than the posted speed limit, it’s for a good reason.
• Brake carefully. In snowy or icy conditions it will take longer for you to come to a stop so start braking sooner. Do not slam on the brakes.
• Be wary of bridge decks and exit ramps. Due to the different air exposure, bridge decks can often be more slippery than the regular roadway. Similarly, exit ramps typically do not get as much sand or salt as the main road and will probably be a bit more slippery. Proceed with caution.
• Be even more wary of trucks. Trucks and semis are heavier than the standard auto and take longer to stop. It’s best to let the truck pull out ahead of you rather than cut them off.
• Leave plenty of room for maintenance vehicles and look further ahead while driving than you usually do to help anticipate potential problems.

“The most important thing we want to get across to young drivers with this campaign is that speed kills, even more so during inclement weather,” said Gary Maestas, superintendent of Plymouth Public Schools. “By maintaining a cautious rate of speed and following these winter driving tips, all drivers can dramatically reduce the likelihood of an accident.”

For updates on latest events and activities related to the Plymouth Safe Driving program and additional safety information, please visit www.plymouthsafedriving.org.

Anyone Can Remove Dents – King Collision Centers Removes Doubts

Founded in 1984 by Bruce King, King Collision Centers provides superior collision repair and extraordinary customer care to thousands of clients south of Boston. King Collision is dedicated to earning customers for life and their team of professionals help clients through the collision repair process every step of the way – from coordinating a rental vehicle; providing accurate damage appraisal; assisting with the insurance claim process and ensuring that the vehicle is returned to its pre-accident operation, safety and value.

King Collision Centers was voted “Best Collision Repair” by Market Surveys of America and they have been selected to participate in the Repair Shop Referral Programs of 20 different insurance companies.  That includes being part of Commerce Insurance’s CARES (Commerce Auto Express Repair Service) Shops, an elite program that includes approximately 120 collision shops across Massachusetts.

The company continues to build strategic alliances with auto dealerships, enabling dealerships to offer collision repair services on-site – similar to their alignment with Mastria Auto Group in Raynham.

King Collision Centers are located in Pembroke, Plymouth and most recently, Raynham, MA.

For more information, visit KingCollision.com or contact 508-747-2005

Ouellette, who is an Attleboro resident, will oversee operations at King’s third and newest location on Route 44 in Raynham.

Ouellette holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maine. After earning his degree in 2005, he attended U.S. Army flight training at Fort Rucker, AL. He was awarded his U.S. Army Aviator Badge in June, 2007. As a newly appointed Aviation Officer and UH-60 Black Hawk pilot he was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq from 2008 to 2009. Ouellette is the recipient of the U.S. Army Air Medal, which was awarded for participation in Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) operations while serving in Iraq.

Ouellette is now a member of the Connecticut National Guard. His new position as King Collision’s Manager is his first full time position after three years of active duty. Upon his return from active duty, Ouellette began looking for an engineering or management job. He had always had an interest in vehicles in general and when he saw King Collision’s ad for a manager, he applied.

“Kevin is an outstanding young man with proven leadership skills he developed while in service to our country. With the combination of Kevin’s caring, outgoing friendly personality, and Mechanical Engineering degree he was an easy choice for us to fill this important position. I’m very proud and pleased to have Kevin as a member of the King Collision team,” noted Bruce King, President of King Collision Centers.

Ouellette is a native of Raymond, ME.

Anyone Can Remove Dents – King Collision Centers Removes Doubts

Founded in 1984 by Bruce King, King Collision Centers provides superior collision repair and extraordinary customer care to thousands of clients south of Boston. King Collision is dedicated to earning customers for life and their team of professionals help clients through the collision repair process every step of the way – from coordinating a rental vehicle; providing accurate damage appraisal; assisting with the insurance claim process and ensuring that the vehicle is returned to its pre-accident operation, safety and value.

King Collision Centers have been selected to participate in the Repair Shop Referral Programs of 20 different insurance companies.

King Collision’s third location, situated on the Mastria Auto Group campus at 81 Brookside Circle (Route 44) in Raynham, is the result of a strategic alliance between King Collision and Mastria Auto Group. The strategic alliance enables King Collision to expand their customer base while Mastria will be able to offer the collision repair services of King Collision. The company continues to build strategic alliances with auto dealerships that want to offer collision repair services on-site, similar to their alignment with Mastria Auto Group in Raynham.

King Collision Centers are located in Pembroke, Plymouth and most recently, Raynham, MA.

For more information, visit KingCollision.com or contact 508-747-2005.

As a catalyst in the current Plymouth Safe Driving campaign, it’s been King Collision Centers’ intent to teach safe driving habits to young drivers in Plymouth. Inadvertently, the Plymouth-based collision center has made history as perhaps the only collision center to initiate a safe driving campaign.

“Obviously, you never want anybody to get hurt. On the other hand, we do earn our living repairing automobiles. So it’s more than a bit unusual for a collision center to be a central figure in a safe driving campaign,” said Bruce King, owner of King Collision Centers. “Frankly, in all my years in this business, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of another collision center doing something quite like this.

The Plymouth Safe Driving program is a multi-pronged approach to promoting safe driving habits for Plymouth North and Plymouth South high schools. Working with Plymouth Public Schools, the Plymouth Police Department and Commerce Insurance, King developed a Web site, www.plymouthsafedriving.org, offering safe driving and a safe driving contract for young drivers and their parents. The contract acts as the young driver’s pledge to drive responsibly.

Plymouth high school students who turn in a signed contract to their principal at either Plymouth North or South high school will be entered into a drawing for In Control’s Crash Prevention Training course (a $350 value).  In addition to the winner, everyone who signs a contract and submits it to their respective principal is eligible to take the In Control Crash Prevention course at a 10 percent discount.

“The In Control training has a phenomenal record, reducing crashes involving new drivers by 70 percent,” said David Antocci, vice president of claims at Commerce Insurance. “If that’s not incentive enough, most insurance companies offer a discount on your auto policy for drivers young and old who complete the In Control training.”

As a reminder for young drivers to drive safely, the Plymouth Safe Driving campaign has and will continue to place two smashed cars at high traffic locations in town. Most recently, the two cars were at the Plymouth North-Plymouth South Thanksgiving Day football game. In addition, volunteers manned a booth and handed out safe driving tips and the student-parent driver contracts.

Over the winter months, students in Plymouth South High School’s Technical Studies program will repair one of the smashed vehicles and then sell it.

As for King, he’s comfortable making history with the Plymouth Safe Driving campaign, even if it’s potentially at the expense of getting business.

“The reality is that collision centers are never going to completely run out of business. With so many automobiles on the road, it’s just the law of averages,” said King. “With this campaign, if we can help just one kid become a better driver and avoid a serious accident, it’s well, well worth it.”

For updates on latest events and activities related to this program and additional safety information, please periodically visit www.plymouthsafedriving.org.

Anyone Can Remove Dents – King Collision Centers Removes Doubts

Founded in 1984 by Bruce King, King Collision Centers provides superior collision repair and extraordinary customer care to thousands of clients south of Boston. King Collision is dedicated to earning customers for life and their team of professionals help clients through the collision repair process every step of the way – from coordinating a rental vehicle; providing accurate damage appraisal; assisting with the insurance claim process and ensuring that the vehicle is returned to its pre-accident operation, safety and value.

King Collision Centers was voted “Best Collision Repair” by Market Surveys of America and they have been selected to participate in the Repair Shop Referral Programs of 20 different insurance companies.  That includes being part of Commerce Insurance’s CARES (Commerce Auto Express Repair Service) Shops, an elite program that includes approximately 120 collision shops across Massachusetts.

The company continues to build strategic alliances with auto dealerships, enabling dealerships to offer collision repair services on-site – similar to their alignment with Mastria Auto Group in Raynham.

King Collision Centers are located in Pembroke, Plymouth and most recently, Raynham, MA. For more information, visit KingCollision.com or contact 508-747-2005