Focus Advisors

More cars got written off in 2025 than ever before. Total-loss frequency reached a record 23.1% of all collision claims (CCC), and the rules around it keep moving. Rhode Island's legislature just voted to raise its total-loss threshold to 85%, its second increase in two years, and the bill is now sitting on the governor's desk. As cars get more expensive to repair, where a state draws the line between "repairable" and "total loss" carries more weight than it used to. https://lnkd.in/dkMHW5nb

Good insights from our President Chris Lane in FenderBender on how MSO owners think through the next phase of growth. For operators, the decision to scale, bring in a partner, or eventually exit is rarely just about valuation. It also comes down to timing, operational readiness, leadership depth, employees, family, and legacy. The better prepared an owner is before a major decision point, the more options they tend to have. 🔗 Read the article: https://lnkd.in/ettDyv_X

Most collision repair owners sell their business once. Buyers do it dozens of times a year. A peer-reviewed study of 3,000+ private company sales found that sellers with professional representation received 6–25% higher valuations than those who went without. We wrote about what that asymmetry looks like in collision repair specifically — and where it shows up in real deals. 🔗 The Cost of Exiting Alone https://lnkd.in/g7dAZ67c

John Masano built a manufacturer-certified collision center inside his Pennsylvania dealership. After years of investment, he sold it — and has zero regrets. In today's Automotive News Daily Drive episode, Masano breaks down why dealer-owned collision has become increasingly difficult to justify: vehicle complexity, insurance totaling behavior, and a workforce that demands full organizational commitment. His conclusion was clear: "The consolidators are better at that than us. They know that business." We advised John through his transaction. The structure was right — a buyer who could take the operation further, paired with a continued parts and service relationship that preserved dealership revenue. Dealer principals are now calling him to ask how he did it. If you're running a dealer-owned collision operation and asking the same question, we'd welcome a conversation. 🎙️ https://lnkd.in/gCvKiKqs

Large independent collision repair operators continue to expand. Focus Advisors’ analysis identified 13 independent non-dealer MSOs with 8+ locations that added stores over the past six months, underscoring that meaningful growth in the sector extends beyond the largest consolidators. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g-44Gnfm

Focus Advisors is proud to have represented Cherry Collision in its sale to VIVE Collision. Brad Pogachefsky and his team built a 42-employee, three-location MSO across South Jersey into a $20M+ platform in just six years — a remarkable achievement in one of the Northeast's most competitive markets. Congratulations to Brad and the entire Cherry Collision team on this milestone. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gGbYv-Hf

Grateful to the Auto Insurance Report team for the in-depth coverage of collision repair M&A trends in their March 23 issue, featuring Focus Advisors' 2025 Year In Review research throughout. If you want to understand what's happening at the intersection shop consolidation and carrier leverage, this is an excellent read.

[Deal Alert] Focus Advisors is pleased to announce the sale of Marina Auto Body's Los Angeles collision repair operations to Chilton Auto Body. Founded in 1977, Marina Auto Body operated three locations across Marina Del Rey, Inglewood, and Huntington Beach. Focus Advisors served as exclusive advisor to the seller. Read more: https://lnkd.in/d9sG9ui7 #CollisionRepair #MandA

Focus Advisors EVP & Managing Director John Walcher is speaking at the HD Repair Forum in Nashville this Thursday, March 19 — 10:30 to 11am. His session will cover the private equity landscape and consolidation trends shaping the heavy duty collision repair industry right now. If you're attending, stop by and say hello.

[ICYMI] Our 2025 Collision Repair M&A Year in Review is live. 2025 was uneven: softer transaction volume, mixed operating performance, and open questions about whether the slowdown is cyclical or structural. Then Q4 delivered a defining moment — Gerber’s acquisition of Joe Hudson’s — reinforcing that large-scale consolidation is still very much in play. The full report breaks down operating trends, MSO activity, PE dynamics, and what it means for valuations in 2026. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gYTPkSGq