ABRA Auto Body & Glass Featured on ABC's 20/20.

Business Editors & Automotive Writers

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 3, 2000

ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a Minneapolis-based damaged vehicle repair company, was featured in a February 25 segment of ABC's 20/20. Safe windshield installation was the focus of the story, and ABRA's Mitch Becker was interviewed as an expert on proper procedures.

"We are excited that this safety topic has finally received the attention that we feel it deserves," said Rollie Benjamin, ABRA's President and CEO. "The windshield is a major part of the structural integrity of a vehicle. If it is installed improperly, it can blow out during a crash causing serious, or even fatal, injuries to the occupants of the vehicle."

During the 20/20 segment, Becker demonstrated how the force of a deployed airbag could easily blow out an incorrectly installed windshield. If this happens, a passenger can be thrown from the vehicle, or the roof can buckle into the passenger compartment which, in the case of one interviewee, broke her neck and left her a quadriplegic.

Dave Doherty, ABRA's Director of Auto Glass Operations, stated: "Our customers' safety has always been the number one issue at ABRA. We have invested in mass media campaigns, as well as conducted continuing education classes, to educate the consumer and our insurance partners on the gravity of this issue. Unfortunately, there are companies out there that, unlike ABRA, are in this trade for the quick money - with untrained personnel who daily jeopardize the safety of their customers' lives."

ABRA Auto Body & Glass only employs technicians who are certified by both the National Glass Association (NGA) and their glass adhesive manufacturer. They also conduct in-house retraining classes and seminars on a regular basis.

"While there are good companies and installers out there in addition to ABRA," Doherty continued, "individuals need to realize glass replacement can be a life-threatening decision. We recommend that they investigate whether a company's technicians are certified, and then get to know the installer before the work is performed by asking educated questions. A few extra minutes of research, and paying attention to who is doing the installation, could affect a person's life."

ABRA Auto Body & Glass is a national damaged vehicle repair company specializing in collision repair, paintless dent removal, and auto glass repair and replacement. Started with one repair center in 1984, they have grown to sixty-seven facilities in ten states. Their plans for accelerated national growth over the next several years include acquiring existing facilities and building new locations.