October 2025 Collision Corner
TOTAL LOSSES CONTINUING TO CLIMB – Through April 2025, 22.6% of all claims were declared Total losses, a 0.9-point increase from the same period in 2024. Contributing factors include declining used vehicle values, which are now beginning to rebound due to supply and demand dynamics; a shifting vehicle age mix, as more than 70% of total losses in 2024 were vehicles 7 years or older; and lower claims volumes. Adjusted vehicle values are down 2.0% year-over-year, averaging $13,445.
Wesco Group LLC, a premier distributor of paint, body, and equipment (PBE) products in the U.S. and Canada, has announced the acquisition of DealerShop’s Paint Distribution Division. This strategic acquisition enhances Wesco Group’s market presence, expanding its footprint and service capabilities across the U.S. The acquisition of DealerShop’s Paint Distribution Division follows Wesco Group’s recent growth initiatives. With these strategic additions, Wesco Group now operates over 214 stores, 20 distribution centers, 14 equipment divisions, and 12 training centers across the U.S. and Canada, reinforcing its leadership in the PBE distribution market.
U.S. Department of Labor – The latest data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that women are accounting for a rapidly growing percentage of the net growth in employment in the collision repair industry in recent years. As of July 2025, the industry had grown by 32,000 workers when compared to five years earlier, adding 19,000 men and 13,000 women, meaning women accounted for 41% of the growth. The data also shows that when the industry shed jobs in the past, it shed a disproportionate number of men. During the Great Recession in 2010, women accounted for just 6% of the 5-year employee count decline of 21,600 people, even though women made up about 14% or 15% of the industry during that time. Then again, in the summer of 2020, DOL data shows that the industry had a 5-year net loss of 7,600 men while it actually gained 1,800 women during that period.
