Saturday Business Spotlight: Collision Concepts Incorporated
[August 30, 2025] For
25 years, Collision Concepts Incorporated, a family-owned business, has
specialized in auto body work.
Collision Concepts traces its origins in Lincoln back to 1998 when Erv
Guyett and Dick Taylor purchased the business.
At the time, the business was located on the Graue dealership property
and was then known as Dick Taylor Graue, LLC. In 1999, Erv Guyett
purchased Dick Taylor’s interest and changed the name to Collision
Concepts, Inc. (CCI) on January 1, 2000.
Within only a few
short years, the demand for CCI’s services far exceeded the capacity of
the existing facility. After careful planning, CCI solidified its
commitment to the Lincoln marketplace by building and then moving into
its current location in February of 2003.
This significant
investment in a dedicated state-of-the-art collision center with triple
the space of the previous location continues to enable CCI to provide
the best service and quality in the Lincoln marketplace for its many
customers.
Twenty five years
later the business continues to thrive. Erv Guyett is still the owner,
and his wife Cindy Guyett does Marketing. Their son Ryan Guyett is the
General Manager.
Making it 25 years and succeeding in business is something Cindy is
proud of.
When it comes to the repairs done at Collision Concepts, the process
requires several steps starting with the estimate. As their website
explains, “in the estimate process area, the vehicle is inspected, and
relevant data is entered into estimate computer systems. This data is
compiled into an estimate that determines the cost of repairs. However,
often there is hidden damage that cannot be seen until after the vehicle
is disassembled.”
As the site says, “Once the estimate is completed, the insurance company
reviews the estimate. There may be some negotiations on the price and
procedures required to repair the vehicle. The insurance company will
determine if the vehicle is even repairable. Once this process is
completed, the vehicle begins the actual repair process.”
In the disassembly process, “hidden damage is often found, and inner
structure repairs are determined. Many times, this will require
scheduling insurance re-inspection and ordering additional parts.”
Next, they order the required parts for your vehicle and check on the
availability. The site says “if a part needs to be special ordered, the
order will be placed as soon as possible. Although many parts may arrive
very quickly, the repair process cannot begin until the shop receives
all the structural parts.”
[to top of second column] |
In the Structure
Repair area, “the unitized body is returned back to the factory
specification. A sophisticated measuring system is used to monitor all
phases in this area. A computer based measurement system is used to
analyze the frame of your vehicle. This system assures an accurate
repair.”
Repair on the
car’s body is done in the Body Repair Department which “replaces
exterior panels and all metal finishing that may be required. The
vehicle begins to come back to life as sheet metal is installed and
aligned. From here the vehicle will go to the paint preparations
department.”
Paint Preparation is considered “a critical step in the refinishing
process of every vehicle. All panels are prepared for paint, then primed
and sealed to assure good adhesion when the final top color and clear
coats of paint are applied.”
When it is time for the vehicle to be reassembled, “final moldings and
detail pieces are put back on the vehicle in the reassembly area. All
the vehicle’s systems are checked during this process.” By this stage,
“the vehicle is almost complete and ready for delivery.
During the repair process vehicles accumulate dust, so the vehicle will
be cleaned. It will then be “road tested to ensure that everything is
working properly. A final inspection will assure that the vehicle is
restored to its pre-accident condition.”
The last step in the repair process is delivery. As their site explains,
“when the customer arrives to pick up the vehicle, the bill is explained
and the final paperwork is completed. The customer drives away in the
vehicle that has been restored to its pre accident condition.”
Besides collision repair, you can have the car towed to Collision
Concepts, often using AAA Towing. If you need a car to drive while yours
is being repaired, Collision Concepts can help you get a rental car
through Hertz in Springfield.
Their motto is “community focused because we’re locally owned.” As part
of their community focus, the company participates in the Toys For Tots
campaign.
They also host an annual Pink Pumpkin fundraising event every October to
support the American Cancer Society. Since October is Breast Cancer
Awareness month across the nation, the event focuses on breast cancer
The Pink Pumpkin auction started in 2018 and has raised thousands of
dollars each year.
In 2018, the event brought in $6,500 and in 2019, $16,000 was raised.
After not having an auction in 2020 due to covid, the auction raised
$20,000 in 2021. In 2022, it brough in $18,000.
2023 was a record breaking year for the auction, as it brought in
$37,000. Last year’s amount was just $1000 less at $36,000.
The total raised
by the Pink Pumpkin Auction since 2018 is $133,500.
With changes in technology over the years, Collision Concepts has had to
adapt to new technologies and business strategies. By doing that, they
have brought exceptional value to their customers and provided a
positive and supportive workplace for their employees.
[Angela Reiners]
|
