Caliber moves into New England

Caliber has acquired Key Collision, a New England operator founded in 1992 with 10 locations across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The deal marks Caliber's first entry into all three states and brings its footprint to 44 states. Key Collision's shops run through Portland, several New Hampshire markets including Manchester and Nashua, and two Vermont locations.

Caliber framed the move around vehicle complexity, an aging fleet, and shifting insurance claims patterns, all of which push demand toward shops with calibration capability and OEM-standard training. Key Collision was represented by Focus Advisors, the same firm that reported earlier this month that collision M&A had slowed to a three-year low in the first half.

Why it matters: This may signal that the pause in collision dealmaking is easing, at least for the largest buyers. It also lands in a region that has seen relatively little consolidator activity until now. For some shops, this might mean a new competitor with national training and calibration resources moving into markets that were previously all independents, which is worth weighing as you think about where you differentiate.

Ford has filed three new recalls with NHTSA totaling roughly 159,000 vehicles. The largest covers 148,663 Mustangs from model years 2024 to 2026, where engine compartment wiring harness ground connections may break. That can cause a loss of drive power or knock out the headlights, windshield washers, air conditioning, or cooling fan. Dealers will replace the ground terminals free of charge, though the fix is not expected to be ready until March 2027.

The other two are smaller. About 10,001 Explorers, Broncos, Bronco Sports, Mustangs, and Rangers may have improperly made engine piston domes that can fail and cut power. A third recall covers just 23 vehicles with joints that may not have been tightened correctly. Ford says it is not aware of any crashes or injuries tied to any of the three.

Why it matters: This could reinforce the pattern that has held for years now, with Ford leading the industry in recall campaigns at 67 so far this year, ahead of Chrysler and GM. Ford points out its campaign total is down about 38% from last year and that a spokesman said many of these newer-model recalls come from the company's own internal testing rather than customer complaints. For some shops, it is worth considering how many Ford customers may be driving with an open recall and a long wait for parts.

JobsOhio launched a program called Technician Path that pays Ohio employers up to $10,000 per worker to train people for hard-to-fill technical jobs while those workers stay on the payroll. The organization says the shortage in the state is severe, with roughly five open jobs for every qualified technician candidate.

The money is tied to progress, not enrollment alone. Employers get $1,000 when a worker enrolls, $4,000 at an intermediate training milestone, and $5,000 when the worker finishes an associate degree or a four-year registered apprenticeship. The last two payments require the employer to match the investment, which can include training wages, tuition, or supervisor time spent mentoring. Companies must pay participating workers at least $20 an hour, and payouts only apply to training activity above what the company was already doing.

Why it matters: This may signal a broader shift toward state and federal money flowing into earn-and-learn models rather than traditional classroom training. It follows the same logic as the ASE Education Foundation grant we covered last month, paying out as workers hit milestones rather than as they walk in the door. For some shops, it is worth checking whether similar programs exist in your state, since the structure rewards the coaching most owners are already doing informally.

📉 A Wall Street Journal analysis found insurers closed 45% of liability and medical claims without payment in 2025, up from about 35% a decade ago, while auto damage claims held steady at just under 25%.

🪟 California's Motor Vehicle Glass Act is headed to the governor with amendments protecting an insured's right to pick their own glass shop or recalibration facility, though the Independent Glass Association is urging a veto.

🔋 A study of 500,000 battery health tests found the Hyundai Ioniq 5 held about 93% of its original capacity at 93,000 miles, ahead of the Tesla Model Y, with wide variation between individual cars of the same model.

🤝 GreatWater 360 Auto Care acquired seven-location Clutch Automotive in Houston, reaching 170 locations, and is keeping the Clutch name and leadership team in place.